Social Mobility Talks is the new podcast from the Social Mobility Commission. In this series, our Commissioners chat to experts on all sorts of topics, from parenting to apprenticeships, to discover what works (and what doesn’t work!) to improve social mobility.
The Social Mobility Commission works to create a United Kingdom where the circumstances of your birth don’t determine where you end up in life, and we want to help even more people understand what social mobility is and how they can get involved in making it a reality.
"Manchesterism": Building the UK’s Leading Engine of Social Mobility | with Mayor Andy Burnham
Can devolution be a game changer for social mobility?Social Mobility Commission Chair Alun Francis is joined by Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham to discuss his vision for Greater Manchester Combined Authority and his call for more radical devolution across the county to support local solutions which deliver growth and opportunity.Greater Manchester is one of the country's most successful city-regions. Home to nearly 3 million people and with an economy bigger than that of Wales or Northern Ireland. Since the election of Andy Burnham as its first metro-mayor in 2017 Greater Manchester Combined Authority has been hailed as a the trailblazer of English devolution, with wide ranging powers including transport, business support, employment and skills and housing investment, leading some to refer to Burnham as “King of the North”.In this episode, Andy and Alun discuss:- What the other parts of the country can learn from Manchester’s success.- Combating the lasting legacy of deindustrialisation.- Why Andy is so passionate about creating opportunities for the "kids without connections."
21 Jan 2026
Who shapes the future? Women, Tech and AI
Right now only 1 in 4 tech workers are women and just 9% are from a low socio-economic background. What does it mean when the sector shaping the future doesn’t reflect society?
In this episode of Social Mobility Talks, Resham Kotecha sits down with Claire Thorne, co-CEO of social mobility charity Tech She Can, to discuss why representation in tech is about more than just fairness, it is about creating a world that works for everyone.
From tackling gender stereotypes in early years education to the "triple disadvantage" faced by girls from low socio-economic backgrounds, Claire shares insights on how we can inspire the next generation of tech leaders.
Resham and Claire explore why 1 in 3 women are planning to leave the tech industry and how "place-based" solutions are essential for reaching underserved communities across the UK.
18 Nov 2025
Is Britain missing out on “bags of talent”? With former Education Secretary Justine Greening
Is Britain missing out on “bags of talent”? In the latest episode of the Social Mobility Commission podcast Commissioner Ryan Henson speaks to former Education Secretary Justine Greening.
Justine is a former Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities and the Founder and Chair of The Purpose Coalition, a coalition of organisations that are committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and boosting social mobility.
Together they discuss,
- why there can be no one size fits all approach to social mobility
- how business can be a force for good
- what AI means for education and skills
3 Sept 2025
How is Liverpool closing the opportunity gap?
How is Liverpool closing the opportunity gap? Our Chair Alun Francis and Mayor Steve Rotheram examine:
• how devolution is helping to create meaningful opportunities for people in the Liverpool City Region.
• the role of technology and innovation in unlocking social mobility.
• alternative career pathways and the value of applied learning.
Find out more about the topics covered in this episode
> State of the Nation 2024 - https://shorturl.at/ZJN9W (https://shorturl.at/ZJN9W)
> Innovation Generation - https://shorturl.at/1jphz (https://shorturl.at/1jphz)
> Social mobility and the economy: are they two sides of the same coin? - https://shorturl.at/Esy8r (https://shorturl.at/Esy8r)
23 Apr 2025
From Silicon Valley to South Yorkshire: boosting innovation for economic growth
How can Britain tackle persistent barriers to economic growth in ‘left behind’ communities? Rob Wilson explores the issues with David Richards, managing partner of venture capital firm Yorkshire AI Labs.
Together they discuss some of the barriers to economic growth outside of London, drawing on David’s experience of business in Sheffield and South Yorkshire as well as his years of experience working in Silicon Valley. They also explore the support and investment needed to secure innovation and growth, the role of entrepreneurship as well as the social mobility opportunities represented by the disruptive effects of AI.
11 Dec 2024
Why Childcare Matters - Episode 13
Resham Kotecha and Ed Davies discuss why prioritizing taxpayer support for families with young children is crucial for achieving social mobility in the UK.
26 Sept 2024
How can employers support social mobility
Social mobility is about competitive advantage not corporate social responsibility. Hollie Crompton, Social Mobility Lead at PWC, and Neil Morrison, HR Director for Severn Trent, discuss how putting social mobility at the heart of their inclusion policies has allowed them to bring talent into their businesses and empowered them to deliver.
15 Aug 2024
The Value of Qualifications
Rob Wilson, Deputy Chair of the Social Mobility Commission, discusses the value of qualifications with former Minister for Universities and Science, The Rt Hon. Lord Willetts FRS.
11 Apr 2024
Regional inequality
Resham Kotecha, Deputy Chair of the Social Mobility Commission, discusses regional
inequalities, innovation, devolution, breakfast clubs and more with former
Cabinet Minister, Ed Balls.
26 Mar 2024
The importance of early years
Rob Wilson, Deputy Chair of the Social Mobility Commission hosts the latest edition of our podcast with Sir David Bell, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sunderland, discussing early years care and what's best for a child's development.
5 Mar 2024
AI - a tool for social mobility?
Resham Kotecha, Deputy Chair of the Social Mobility Commission discusses artificial intelligence (AI) with Adrian Joseph OBE, including how it can be used to help address social mobility, representation in the tech sector, how organisations can make sure that AI is used ethically and much more.
7 Feb 2024
National Apprenticeship Week
Alun Francis, Chair of the Social Mobility Commission, interviews Tom Richmond, Founder and Director of EDSK, in a National Apprenticeship Week episode looking at the potential apprenticeships have to improve social mobility in the UK and what's currently holding them back.
10 Jan 2024
What can we learn from US Charter Schools?
Deputy Chair of the Social Mobility Commission, Rob Wilson, interviews education consultant Barry Smith.
30 Nov 2023
What have we learnt from Family Hubs?
Alun Francis, Chair of the Social Mobility Commission, interviews Samantha Callan, the Co-Founder and Director of Family Hubs, on the programme's strengths and weaknesses.
31 Oct 2023
What have we learnt from Sure Start?
Alun Francis, Chair of the Social Mobility Commission interviews Naomi Eisenstadt, the first Director of Sure Start
23 Feb 2023
Contextualised admissions and recruitment
Alun Francis, Interim Chair of the Social Mobility Commission, discusses contextualised admissions and recruitment with a panel of experts.
25 Oct 2022
Parenting - in conversation with Lee Elliot Major
Katharine Birbalsingh, Chair of the Social Mobility Commission, speaks to the UK’s first Professor of Social Mobility, Lee Elliot Major (Exeter University), about the role parents and families play in social mobility.
24 Oct 2022
Social Mobility Talks - Trailer
Social Mobility Talks is the new podcast from the Social Mobility Commission. In each episode, Katharine Birbalsingh, Chair of the Social Mobility Commission, chats to experts to discover what works (and what doesn’t!) to improve social mobility.
In our first episode, released on 25th October, she’ll be joined by the UK’s first Professor of Social Mobility, Lee Elliot Major (Exeter University) to discuss the role that parents and families play in social mobility.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
23,715
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Spotify
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 55 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
52
Social presence
0
YouTube
76
Engagement
68
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