Co-op has launched a range of social mobility tools, after new research revealed that class barriers are still an issue in terms of careers.

The group has rolled out two toolkits in a bid to make opportunities fairer for employers and jobseekers, offering practical steps to remove barriers linked to socioeconomic background.

The business’s social mobility employer toolkit provides guidance for organisations to measure, understand and improve social mobility across their workforce, Co-op said.

Alongside this, the employability toolkit provides a free resource to help those facing barriers to work to build confidence and develop job-ready skills.

The toolkits are freely available on Co-op’s website and are set to be shared with partner organisations, including through its levy share scheme and to its own members.

A dedicated version is also being launched across the Co-op academies trust to support students in disadvantaged areas.

The company has engaged young members in shaping its resource, with input from the Co-op young members group helping to test and refine the content.

The launch comes after research for the Co-op group found that 68% of Brits said their background, such as accent, family income or school, still impacted how far they could go in their careers.

Additionally, 52% thought that businesses should treat social mobility as part of their wider diversity and inclusion commitments.

Nearly a third (32%) felt confident that employers genuinely cared about social mobility, while 52% thought businesses should treat social mobility as part of their wider DEI commitments.

Participants believed the biggest barriers to progress for those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds were the cost of higher education (31%), bias in recruitment (28%) and lack of confidence or professional networks (25%).

Co-op chief people and inclusion officer Claire Costello said: “This research shows that background still plays too big a role in determining career success. 

“Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. Every business can take steps to change that.”

She continued: “Our new employer toolkit makes it easier for organisations to understand the socioeconomic gap in their workforce and take practical action to close it. 

“Access to opportunity is a core part of our social value strategy, and we are showing that inclusion and productivity go hand in hand.”

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