The role of apprenticeships in tackling UK’s social mobility challenges

The role of apprenticeships in tackling UK’s social mobility challengesIn this article, Nichola Hay discusses the latest report from the Social Mobility Commission and highlights the role of professional apprenticeships in tackling the UK’s growing social mobility crisisThis month, the UK’s Social Mobility Commission released its annual State of the Nation 2023 report on social mobility, with stark warnings from its chair, Alun Francis, that the nation’s younger generation is now in danger of being worse off than its predecessors.The report found that lower working-class parents are about three times as likely to find themselves in working-class occupations themselves and that people’s highest level of qualification is strongly related to the level of education that their parents achieved. For instance, people who have parents with a degree are far more likely — 64% against 18% — to get a degree than those whose parents don’t have a degree.Interestingly, 44 per cent of people defined ‘having a better life than your parents’ as meaning have a better education.Despite the extensive scope of the Commission’s research and its focus on access to education, it is noteworthy that the report fails to consider the progression made by people into apprenticeships — despite accepting in the report that looking into apprenticeships would help improve the accuracy of their future findings.The fact is that apprenticeships are a key pathway for helping people of all socio-economic backgrounds into the labour market and, most critically, opening up new opportunities for people already in employment to upskill themselves and achieve rapid upward occupational mobility.As the UK enters a potential period of social mobility stagnation, professional apprenticeships have increasingly emerged as a powerful antidote, which employees and employers are increasingly drawn towards for several reasons which cannot be overlooked.LEVELLING THE PLAYING FIELDProfessional apprenticeships are an incredibly effective mechanism to help people overcome the traditional barriers to entry that guard many jobs in the modern economy. In many instances, they provide a viable route for individuals from diverse backgrounds, regardless of their educational history, to gain access to high-quality training.This allows them to forge career advancement opportunities that may never have existed before and ensures that talent, hard work, and potential are the primary determinants of success rather than social or economic circumstances.Whether it’s parents looking to re-enter the workforce, the long-term economically inactive or recent school/college leavers, an apprenticeship programme can create an opportunity for those candidates who may never have applied for a role due to their lack of direct experience or a specific university degree.GREATER FLEXIBILITY, HIGHER VALUEAs professional apprenticeships are built around the principle of on-the-job learning , they allow individuals to earn while they learn. This significantly reduces the financial burden often associated with pursuing further education or skill acquisition more broadly.Moreover, the tailored nature of apprenticeships ensures that – unlike many other educational pursuits – participants acquire skills and knowledge directly relevant to their chosen career path, enhancing their employability and potential for career progression.In this way, apprenticeships provide a fantastic value for investment — a factor which will be critical to those with less time and resources to dedicate to their professional development.TIMES ARE CHANGINGOn top of the warnings from the Social Mobility Commission, it is important to reflect on the fact that we are in a period of rapid change for the UK labour market and the nature of work itself. Driven by automation and technological advancement, many sectors and professions are likely to experience significant upheaval over the next decade.If we fail as a nation to upskill and reskill ou...