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29 June 2020Influential Women in IPJulia Florence

Social mobility: widening the circle

Let me start with some disclaimers: I am a product of social mobility, I am a member of IP Inclusive, the organisation which champions inclusion and diversity throughout the IP arena in the UK and I spent the majority of my career as an in-house patent attorney.

My views will no doubt be shaped by all three of these facts, and I don’t pretend to speak for everyone. Indeed, this article will focus mainly on social mobility in the patent profession.

Although my grandparents were firmly working class, and my parents’ education was interrupted by the war, they were able to join the post-war teacher training schemes and I grew up in a family which put a high value on education—my grandmother’s constant refrain was “when you grow up and go to college”, which planted that thought firmly in my mind. So I had both opportunity and encouragement.

Yes, I admit it—I’m one of those baby-boomers who had free university education, with a grant thrown in. That is why I believe it is important that the opportunities for a good education are available to current and future generations, and that they have the encouragement and inspiration to pursue those opportunities.

What is social mobility?

Social mobility is generally defined as a change in social status as indicated by education and/or income; the term is mostly used to mean “upward” mobility.

I particularly like this description from the educational charity Sutton Trust: “Social mobility is about ensuring the opportunities open to a young person are not dependent on the economic and social position they were born into. High levels of social mobility mean that people from all backgrounds are able to access the opportunities suited to their talents and aspirations. It’s crucial for creating a fairer society, fostering social cohesion and boosting economic growth.”

It is now widely recognised that diversity is good for business. Diversity, whether it be in relation to gender, ethnicity, social background, or a range of other characteristics, enables businesses to draw from a wider talent pool, bringing together people who are more likely to have a greater range of views and perspectives, which in turn can lead to more creative ideas and solutions.

Businesses with a diverse workforce are also more likely to represent and therefore appeal to a wider customer or client base. But more importantly, embracing diversity and inclusion is good for people.

Social mobility and the IP profession

Where do the IP professions stand in terms of social mobility? There is very little hard data relating to the levels of social mobility within the IP sector although recent surveys provide some information.

For example, IP recruitment firm Fellows and Associates’ 2019 salary survey included data on school and university background. The vast majority of respondents (90%) were patent attorneys/trainees. The figures indicate that around half of respondents attended a non-selective state school, just under a quarter (24%) went to a selective state school and just over a quarter (27%) to a private school. Around 20% obtained their first degree at Oxford or Cambridge (Oxbridge), and 60% at a Russell Group university.

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