Social Mobility Response.pdf

The UK Commission for Employment and Skills welcomes the work of the Independent Commission on Social Mobility and aims to improve opportunities and reduce inequalities by enhancing employment and skills. The Commission's goals include increasing employability, equipping individuals with transferable skills, and developing further skills for higher paid employment. Key challenges and opportunities lie in worklessness and employability, progress in work, and higher level skills. The UK faces skills and employment challenges, with nearly 5 million people of working age having no qualifications, and those without qualifications facing barriers to skill development and lower wage levels. Enhancing qualifications is crucial for gaining and keeping employment, and increasing wage levels, with individuals with degrees earning up to 67-68% more than unqualified workers. The UK performs poorly internationally in qualification attainment, ranking 17th out of 30 countries in the proportion with no or low qualifications. The Commission aims to equip people with the qualifications, skills, and opportunities needed to gain, keep, and progress in employment, addressing negative consequences for social mobility.