Prof Shitij Kapur’s argument that the UK has a “surfeit” of graduates and that degrees have shifted from a “passport” to a mere “visa” for social mobility is misleading (UK university degree no longer ‘passport to social mobility’, says King’s vice-chancellor, 3 January).
Social mobility is not solely about having a degree. It is rooted in class, region, race, prejudice, discrimination and socioeconomic status, a consequence of which is what Daniel Laurison and Sam Friedman’s research shows as a “class ceiling” in action. This concept privileges those from higher socioeconomic groups when graduates are seeking employment. A good job is central to increasing social mobility. If access to this is barred by prejudice and discrimination, social capital reduces, and this strangles social mobility.
