Ethics & Innovation: Oxfordshire's Divide Between Opportunity and Access

How can one of the UK's most prosperous counties also hold some of its widest gaps in life expectancy and school results?In this episode of Ethics and Innovation by Oxford+ brought to you by Equinox, host Susannah de Jager speaks with Jeremy Long, co-chair of the Oxfordshire Inclusive Economy Partnership, about what an inclusive economy looks like in practice and why averages hide as much as they reveal. Jeremy sets out the OIEP's three working groups, early years, youth engagement and inclusive employers, and the charter that lets organisations pick the pledges they can act on now.He describes taking employers into HMP Bullingdon to see how ex-offenders can return to work, the early years summit that put school readiness back on the county agenda, and plans to revive work experience through the Opportunity For All event. The timing matters. Figures published on 27 August 2026 show 981,000 young people across the UK were not in education, employment or training between April and June, according to the Office for National Statistics. Jeremy explains how Oxfordshire can match unfilled roles with local talent, and how Equinox extends that work.(00:00) - Welcome to Oxford+ (01:53) - What the Oxfordshire Inclusive Economy Partnership Is (03:45) - The Averages That Mask Oxfordshire's Inequality (06:27) - Early Years, Youth and Inclusive Employers (08:34) - Inside the OIEP Charter and Its Pledges (10:24) - Ex-Offenders, Timpson and HMP Bullingdon (11:40) - Closing the Gap for 18 to 24-Year-Olds (12:38) - The Early Years Summit and What Came Next (15:56) - Cradle to Career and the School as Anchor (18:12) - Reviving Work Experience Across the County (21:32) - Equinox, the Local Policy Lab and Green Skills (27:07) - Aspirations for the Next Five Years Jeremy Long: Jeremy Long is co-chair of the Oxfordshire Inclusive Economy Partnership, a collaboration of more than 100 organisations across business, local government, the universities, education and the voluntary and community sectors. A chartered accountant by training, he spent fifteen years as chief executive of MTR Corporation's European business and chaired the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership from 2016 to 2023. He has chaired the board of trustees at River Learning Trust since October 2023, sits as a non-executive director of National Grid Electricity Transmission, and chairs the Oxford energy efficiency installer EnergyMyWay.Connect with Jeremy on LinkedIn. Susannah de Jager: Susannah is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in UK asset management. She has worked closely with industry experts, entrepreneurs, and government officials to shape the conversation around domestic scale-up capital.Connect with Susannah on LinkedIn and Subscribe to the Oxford+ Newsletter for Exclusive ContentOxford+ is hosted by Susannah de Jager and supported by Equinox.Produced and Edited by Story Ninety-Four in Oxford.