Severn Trent has again been named as one of the country’s top performing companies for improving social mobility. 

For the fourth year running, the water and waste company has claimed a place in the top 10 in the latest Social Mobility Employer Index, coming in at fifth.

The Social Mobility Index that’s in its sixth year, ranks Britain’s employers on the actions they’re taking to ensure they’re open to accessing and progressing talent from all backgrounds.

Companies are assessed on everything from the work they do on apprenticeships, through to their recruitment and selection processes, and how people from lower income backgrounds progress up the ladder within their organisations.

Between April 21 and March 22, around 42% of Severn Trent’s new hires came from areas identified as being social mobility cold spots, with 40% of all internal promotions achieved by staff living in these areas.

Neil Morrison, HR Director at Severn Trent, said: “Now more than ever with the cost of living crisis, it’s vital that we’re helping to create more ways for people to walk through our doors, regardless of where they come from. So this recognition to be named again as one of the top 10 performing companies for improving social mobility, makes me immensely proud.

“We take our role as a major employer really seriously, with many social mobility cold spots in our region we’re well aware of the role we can play that can benefit our communities and help get them into work.

“That includes things like our recently launched a ten-year ambition to help 100,000 people out of poverty, or preventing them getting into poverty. This will see us delivering employability skills workshops in communities, and providing work experience placements for young people to help them go into more meaningful work in the future - focussing in areas that are often overlooked with low social mobility. So, along with our apprenticeship scheme, internships, and work experience placements, and everything else our team does to recruit, we’re absolutely committed to be going above and beyond to provide as many opportunities for people as possible, and use our position to help others.”

As well as its plans to support 100,000 people out of poverty, Severn Trent is also delivering thousands of hours of free employability training for communities across the region.

The training ranges from sessions from cv writing, presentation skills and confidence workshops. All free, and available to everyone in its region, as the company looks to support as many people in its region with getting into work as possible.

Neil adds: “It’s really important that companies like ours are doing what they can to help and provide opportunities for everyone. And even if that’s not with Severn Trent, we understand the importance of sharing skills and expertise to help others to go into any line of work they wish, and to help at a time when it’s needed the most.”