Was this a King's Speech for social mobility?

Talent is everywhere, opportunity is not. It shouldn’t matter where you grew up, what school you went to or what job your parents did. Delivering opportunities for everyone is not only a moral duty – it's an economic opportunity. The legislative programme announced today suggests that the new Government understands this.

They have put their opportunity mission at the heart of the legislative programme set out in today's King's Speech with interventions that address early years outcomes, apprenticeships, skills gaps and legislation to improve workers’ rights. All show promise, but only if they keep the need to tackle the disadvantages that arise from socioeconomic background in laser sharp focus.

Take the Children’s Wellbeing Bill: a positive step to raise education standards, but one that will have limited impact unless all young people can access and benefit from our education system. The disadvantage gap still exists – and it’s getting worse – which suggests large-scale reform is needed to ensure access to high-quality education is the norm. Early years interventions such as breakfast clubs are instrumental in reducing inequalities, but it is not the only lever Government needs to pull to achieve equitable outcomes for all young people. 

Change is needed at all stages of the education and skills system; the Government’s plans to reform the apprenticeship levy show that it recognises this. Apprenticeships should be a powerful engine for social mobility. But the levy – a tax on large employers designed to help fund apprenticeship courses – has not benefited young people from the most deprived areas, who have lost opportunities to more privileged peers who can navigate the landscape better. Any plans for reform must address how apprenticeships will be refocused on those who need them most: young people who want – or need – to earn a salary while they train. 

The new Government must consider how it will address inequality through the UK’s careers infrastructure; otherwise, it will not improve outcomes for young people.  Its commitment to Skills England is a step in the right direction and shows a desire to bring together educators, employers and third parties to break down barriers to work. However, young people are absent from current plans for stakeholder consultation – this misses an opportunity to hear directly from the very people most affected. A national skills body requires diversity of thought and cannot rely solely on the views of a select few. Lived experience matters, and must be put at the heart of policy. 

Building on the legacy of the ground breaking gender pay gap legislation, the Government wants to introduce disability and ethnicity pay gap reporting for large employers. This is positive: we know what gets measured gets addressed. The gender pay gap is now at its smallest since reporting became mandatory. The same change is possible for social class, yet it is continually overlooked. Social characteristics do not exist in a vacuum; they intersect with each other to create layers of disadvantage. A Government that’s committed to breaking down barriers should know this – and be braver in their ambitions to address socioeconomic disadvantage at work.  

Requiring large employers to collect and report socioeconomic background data would make unfair pay visible on a larger scale, and help the Government understand why inequality continues to grow in the UK. It’s what the country needs, and it's what tomorrow’s workforce expects: 88% of young people surveyed as part of our Unheard Voices research think it would be a good idea to make employers report on their class pay gap.

Breaking down barriers to opportunity and getting the economy growing are twin priorities for the new Government and can absolutely work together. The approach set out today promises much; seeing the detail, and how this opportunity mission will be driven, will help us understand how powerfully the Government’s approach will drive opportunity and tackle inequality.