MPF awards: The Sutton Trust presents award to Grant Thornton

Programmes Manager Claire Maton presents ‘Most Inclusive Firm’ to Grant Thornton at this year’s MPF awards.

The annual Managing Partners’ Firm awards is always an exciting event, celebrating excellence in the leadership and management of professional firms. This year was no different and the evening highlighted fantastic examples of business practice.

For a few years now, the Sutton Trust has sponsored the award for ‘Most Inclusive Firm’. Improving diversity in the workplace and widening access to leading professions for under-represented young people is crucial for unlocking Britain’s full potential and the Trust are proud to present such an important award.

This year Programmes Manager Claire Maton was delighted to present the award to Grant Thornton, an incredible firm that is constantly striving to build a more diverse working environment. They were the first professional services firm to remove academic entry requirements for both their school leaver and graduate trainee positions, are active members of Access Accountancy and were ranked 1^st in the Social Mobility Foundation’s inaugural Employer Index in 2017.

Grant Thornton not only provide young people with exposure to the industry through essential work experience and outreach, but have also addressed its recruitment processes to ensure that young people from diverse backgrounds don’t experience barriers to achieving success. This is something the Sutton Trust encourage all organisations to do if they are truly committed to creating real diversity in the workplace.

The Trust work with a number of organisations across a variety of sectors including Banking and Finance, Law, Medicine and Technology to support young people in accessing the essential work experience that they want. Connecting young people from diverse backgrounds to organisations like those showcased at the MPF awards, is an essential element of our evidence-based programmes and therefore it was great to take part in the awards again, celebrating the fantastic work that is being done.