Apprenticeships and adult education are often considered a ladder of social mobility. They enable people to gain skills that make them more employable. They also upskill and reskill workers who are already employed, opening up future opportunities. Yet, according to a report by the Social Mobility Commission (SMC) published today – funding for adult education has been cut by 45% over the past decade and individuals now have to pay for a greater share of their training.
One of the key recommendations of our Monitoring Report is to improve apprenticeships and adult education so that learners from less advantaged backgrounds can gain access to the opportunities that they deserve.
You can read the full report here.
This is the first in a series of reports from the SMC looking at social mobility in the UK. The monitoring report measures the progress of government on key recommendations the SMC has made since 2013.