While the tech industry has been a trailblazer in many respects, it lags on socio-economic inclusion and is missing out on an important pool of talent as well as the breadth of thought and experience that is essential to maximising innovation and creativity. Only 9% of the tech workforce come from lower-income backgrounds, compared to 40% of the UK’s working population, and 72% of tech investors have been to fee paying schools which educate 7% of the population.    

Bringing together some of the UK’s most prominent organisations in the social mobility space, the Tech Future Taskforce will provide practical support to help employers create meaningful opportunities for people from underrepresented socio-economic backgrounds to succeed in tech. It will also facilitate collaboration between employers, ensuring peer-to-peer opportunities to exchange guidance and insights on how best to enact change. 

 The Tech Future Taskforce engages tech employers to work across four key change pillars:: 

• Engagement and Outreach: aiming to increase the number of people from lower income backgrounds who have access to tech career experiences. 

• Access and Opportunity: aiming to increase the number of people from these backgrounds that have been offered a tech role. 

• Retention and Progression: aiming to create environments where diverse talent can advance and excel in their careers regardless of class background - right to the most senior level.  

• Data and Measurement: aiming to increase the number of organisations who are tracking socio-economic inclusion in their tech workforce.  

The Tech Future Taskforce is actively looking for other businesses to join, so that they can take action and drive the change the industry needs to keep innovating and growing. Interested organisations and businesses can find out more here.  

The Taskforce is being launched in March 2025 at an event hosted by Google in their London HQ.