Labour puts fairness at the heart of plans encouraging social mobility
By Martin Kornacki (18-01-2010)
0 Comments 
Article Rating: 
Email to a friend | Print Version
Labour today outlined plans to improve social mobility by encouraging the professions to take on more people from poorer backgrounds.
The plans are in response to Unleashing Aspiration, a report from the Panel on Fair Access to the Professions, which made 88 recommendations for the government to do more to ensure that people with ability, creativity and talent can succeed in the professions regardless of their social or economic background.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown says his government’s mission is to ensure that all of Britain’s people, from every background, are given the opportunity to develop their talents and learn the skills that will transform their lives.
“In many ways society is already fairer. 600,000 children have been lifted out of poverty, record numbers of our young people are going to university, one in three people of working age is a member of a profession, and the gender pay gap has narrowed,” he said.
“But we can't be a truly aspirational society if some people are still denied the chance to get on, and although we have raised the glass ceiling we have yet to break it. That is why our priority will be to remove all the barriers that are holding people back.”
The measures announced include the creation of an online National Internship Service, which aims to help undergraduates and graduates access opportunities and information to develop their employability skills.
Bursary funding will be available for students from low income backgrounds lacking the means to support themselves. This follows the government’s announcement in the Pre-Budget Report that it would deliver £8m funding for up to 10,000 new undergraduate internships.
There is also a guarantee for around 130,000 of the brightest young people from low-income backgrounds to benefit from structured assistance at secondary school.
Beginning in 2012, this package should include experience of Higher Education, mentoring and access to high quality information, advice and guidance.
Skills minister Pat McFadden concluded: “There are still great causes in politics and ensuring that people can achieve their potential based on their talent, hard work and character, regardless of their background, race or gender is one such great cause. We have made progress in raising, but must now break through, the glass ceiling of social mobility in this country.
“This isn’t about class war – the real class war would be to tell people they should know their place and to continue restricting opportunity to a narrow group."
The plans are in response to Unleashing Aspiration, a report from the Panel on Fair Access to the Professions, which made 88 recommendations for the government to do more to ensure that people with ability, creativity and talent can succeed in the professions regardless of their social or economic background.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown says his government’s mission is to ensure that all of Britain’s people, from every background, are given the opportunity to develop their talents and learn the skills that will transform their lives.
“In many ways society is already fairer. 600,000 children have been lifted out of poverty, record numbers of our young people are going to university, one in three people of working age is a member of a profession, and the gender pay gap has narrowed,” he said.
“But we can't be a truly aspirational society if some people are still denied the chance to get on, and although we have raised the glass ceiling we have yet to break it. That is why our priority will be to remove all the barriers that are holding people back.”
The measures announced include the creation of an online National Internship Service, which aims to help undergraduates and graduates access opportunities and information to develop their employability skills.
Bursary funding will be available for students from low income backgrounds lacking the means to support themselves. This follows the government’s announcement in the Pre-Budget Report that it would deliver £8m funding for up to 10,000 new undergraduate internships.
There is also a guarantee for around 130,000 of the brightest young people from low-income backgrounds to benefit from structured assistance at secondary school.
Beginning in 2012, this package should include experience of Higher Education, mentoring and access to high quality information, advice and guidance.
Skills minister Pat McFadden concluded: “There are still great causes in politics and ensuring that people can achieve their potential based on their talent, hard work and character, regardless of their background, race or gender is one such great cause. We have made progress in raising, but must now break through, the glass ceiling of social mobility in this country.
“This isn’t about class war – the real class war would be to tell people they should know their place and to continue restricting opportunity to a narrow group."
Readers Comment
Be the first to comment on this news story
News Alerts
Subscribe to TJ news bulletins:
| Subscribe to our L & D RSS Feed
Related News
Related Discussion Topics
Latest News
- New award recognises organisations that invest in employee wellbeing
- Employers failing to Integrate talent management and diversity
- Health sector workforce skills need to be utilised more effectively, report finds
- Millionth worker completes training through Train to Gain
- Last week to apply for cash in return for help in NEET survey
