Government Commitment To Remove Barriers To Social Mobility Welcome, But There Is Still More To Do

It has been nine months since the House of Lords Social Mobility Policy Committee, which I chaired, published its report ‘Social mobility: Local roots, lasting change.’ Our inquiry focused on the better integration of work and education opportunities for young people, concentrating on four key areas: the importance of place, young people not in education, training and work (NEETs), Education and training for 16- 18-year-olds, and data.

Help remove barriers to social mobility

Our report calls on the Government to devolve more power and resources to local authorities, metro mayors, education providers, employers and other relevant agencies. This will enable them to use their local knowledge and expertise to reduce the shocking number of NEETs and help remove barriers to social mobility.

Since the publication of our report, Alan Milburn has published his ‘Young people and work: interim report,’ the Youth Guarantee has been expanded and V Levels have been launched. Andy Burnham has also acted quickly as Prime Minister to move social mobility to the top of the political agenda by introducing technical options for students aged fourteen and a new bursary to help young people remove barriers to apprenticeships.

It is against the background of these welcome updates that the Committee has received the Government response to our report. I am pleased that it has taken on board and accepted the majority of our recommendations. These include commitments to update local oversight and accountability for NEETs, enabling local agencies to share data about young people more effectively and the development of Risk of NEET Indicator (RONI) tools.

Missed opportunities

One of the most informative parts of our inquiry was a visit to Blackpool, hosted by Blackpool and the Fylde College. There we were able to meet local partners and observe courses in areas such as digital, health and engineering, tailored in part to the industry and apprenticeships available in the North-West. We also had the chance to talk to students taking those courses who were enthusiastic and articulate. We heard their ambitions to work both in large, national businesses and local start-up companies in their home region.

The recent Government announcements I outlined earlier will help the Blackpool students achieve their goal. However, there is more that can be done.

After our visit to Blackpool and hearing from other witnesses across the country, the Committee was convinced that the problems young people face and barriers to social mobility need to be tackled regionally, with further education providers playing a central role. Only those who understand and can reflect local experiences, challenges and opportunities in different regions, can provide the leadership to find tailored solutions.

Youth Trailblazers

It is disappointing therefore that the Government has not taken the opportunity to accept our recommendation to build on the eight existing youth trailblazers, expand their remit to become pilots on social mobility, and increase the number so that they are led by a mix of strategic authorities and local authorities from post-industrial, coastal, rural and urban areas, including local authorities which are outside combined authority areas.

Our report argues the aim of the trailblazers should be to produce guidance on best practice for a locally-led partnership approach to reducing barriers to social mobility in those different communities, taking into account where different approaches are needed, and what they might be. The prolonged evaluation period of the existing trailblazers is frustrating and it really is a missed opportunity if the scheme is not built on.

Higher Education still plays a key role

Amid the reforms to give much needed parity to vocational training, it is important not to lose sight of the role of universities and higher education providers as engines of social mobility. Our report recommends the Government should increase the £25,000 household income threshold, at which a student can get the maximum maintenance loan during their time at university, to match inflationary rises. Whilst the Government is committed to introducing targeted maintenance grants, it is disappointing that our recommendation was rejected.

Removing barriers to social mobility and helping young people into education, employment and training must remain a priority for the Government. The publication in the autumn of Alan Milburn’s Review should ensure that the urgency of tackling this critical issue is addressed. I look forward to reading it, and the Government’s response.
By Baroness Manningham-Buller