In HMRC, we not only want people to get in, we want them to get on too. That’s why, in October 2019, our Social Mobility Team introduced Stride, a mentoring scheme specifically designed for people who identify themselves as coming from a lower socio-economic background. 

In Stride, we believe that we have created something quite unique. Not only does Stride provide an opportunity for mentees to be individually matched with senior leaders, but the team have developed a strong community. Using shared platforms, they have encouraged the mentee and mentor communities to share general knowledge, experiences and offer career opportunities. They have identified common themes that have emerged from the many mentoring relationships and sourced development opportunities and learning specifically for the Stride participants to collectively access. This takes Stride far beyond matching mentoring pairs to a self-development scheme where its members have access to dedicated opportunities, learning and information. 

Stride has generated incredible interest in Social Mobility with over 200 senior managers applying to be mentors and over 160 people applying to be mentees, all successfully matched, at its initial launch. Based on their experience testimonies, Stride received applications from over 700 people for it's second cohort beginning in July 2020, which also for the first time includes VOA staff.