National Grid is proud to be the headline partner of the UK Social Mobility Awards for the third year in a row, championing employers who are widening access to opportunity and driving long‑term, systemic change.
We were joined by Alice Delahunty, President of Electricity Transmission, to talk about the challenges facing the energy and utilities sector, which must recruit more than 300,000 people in the next five years to deliver the essential services the country relies on. And as Delahunty emphasises, “We will not meet that challenge by looking in the same places, for the same profiles, in the same ways.”
At National Grid, social mobility is part of how the organisation is building the workforce the UK needs for the future. As Delahunty puts it, “The workforce challenge in energy is real. Social mobility matters because it helps us reach people with the ability, commitment and skills we need — not just those who already know how to get through the door.”
Our Q&A with Alice Delahunty
How has partnering with the UK Social Mobility Awards positively impacted your company?
“Partnering with the SOMOs has helped us lift this from a set of individual programmes into a much more integrated business approach. It gives us a platform to benchmark where we are as an organisation, learn from others and show our colleagues that widening access to opportunity matters at leadership level.”
Why is social mobility so important to National Grid?
“Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. That matters for any organisation, but it is particularly important in energy and utilities, where the sector needs to recruit over 300,000 people over the next five years to deliver the essential services the UK relies on. We will not meet that challenge by looking in the same places, for the same profiles, in the same ways. We have to be deliberate about opening up access, building skills and creating routes into long-term careers.”
How do you feel about the current state of social mobility in the UK?
“There is strong intent across many organisations, but the evidence still shows that access to opportunity is too often shaped by background, geography and networks. Outreach is important, but the harder work is turning that intent into practical changes that affect hiring, progress and retention. We need more structured routes into skilled work, more paid pathways, more skills-based hiring and better progression across all regions. That will take collaboration across businesses, sectors and supply chains.”
Why is social mobility a priority at leadership level?
“The challenges facing the energy sector will not be solved by homogeneous thinking. We need people with a range of perspectives, lived experiences and ways of approaching problems if we are going to innovate at the pace required. If we want the skills and capability to deliver the transition, we have to widen access to opportunity now.”
Celebrating this year’s leaders in social mobility
The UK Social Mobility Awards shine a spotlight on the employers who are not just talking about social mobility, but transforming it — across sectors, regions and industries. As headline partner, National Grid is proud to support an initiative that celebrates organisations widening access, creating opportunity and driving long‑term change.
Explore how employers across the UK are advancing social mobility by discovering this year’s finalists here.
