Essential Skills in Business
HSF Kramer
How can a focus on essential skills enhance a multi-touchpoint scholarship programme to boost social mobility?
Social mobility
Early talent
Improving workplace readiness
The Skills Builder Universal Framework has been a valuable tool in helping us deliver a more impactful Networked programme. By providing a structured way to assess, develop and celebrate essential skills, it has enabled our scholars to build confidence, recognise their progress and prepare more effectively for higher education and future careers. It has also given us a consistent way to monitor skills development throughout the programme and better evidence the impact we are having on participants.
Sanae Elmed - Senior Responsible Business Advisor
HSF Kramer wanted to enhance their Networked Scholarship Programme, an industry leading social mobility programme, to better prepare participants for early career success through an added focus on essential skills development.
HSF Kramer wanted to transform the way in which progress was assessed and reported across the whole duration of the Networked Scholarship Programme.
The programme admits 5 new scholars each year and supports through work experience, mentoring, training, and bursaries.
Netoworked Scholarship Programme achieved Impact Level 4 recognising the programme's excellence in progressing and developing the essential skills of its participants.
The programme won the Innovation Award at the 2026 UK Social Mobility Awards (SOMOs).
How HSF Kramer achieved their Skills Builder Excellence Standards
The Skills Builder Excellence Standards set clear guidelines for best practice across a business or team.
Business or teams who achieve these indicators work towards achieving an Excellence Mark accreditation.
The Outreach Excellence Standards are outlined below.
