An industry-wide definition of ‘working-class’ is in the works with an aim to include the socio-economic grouping in the Create Diversity Network’s Project Diamond diversity reporting.
Broadcasters and Pact are also feeding into plans to establish a standard definition, as well as protocols and reporting.
In September, the Social Mobility Commission publishes a creative industries toolkit, which will present a definition based on parental occupations in an individual’s teenage years.
CDN executive director Deborah Williams has contributed to the metric, which broadcasters and indies will be invited to use as part of their diversity targets.
The metric will be presented to broadcasters and indies, which may choose to use it as part of any future diversity targets.
Since April, the BBC has incorporated socio-economic background into its 20% off-screen diversity target, encompass people whose parents held semi-routine or routine manual or service jobs when they were 14 – a measure in line with government departments.
Citing this option as the most universal and measurable metric, Williams plans to introduce it to CDN’s Diamond diversity reporting system within two years.
