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Did you know

  1. The UK is ranked fifth in the world and first place in Europe for ease of doing business, according to the World Bank.

  2. The number of students completing university is at a 10 year high, with 86 per cent of full time students leaving higher education with a qualification.  

  3. Over two million people have been helped with apprenticeships since 1997 and, thanks to record levels of funding, plans for 250,000 new starts a year are under way.  

  4. A record number of adults gained vocational qualifications in the past academic year, with 320,600 achieving the equivalent of five GCSEs at grade C or above, an increase of over 35 per cent from 2006/07.

  5. Improved regulation is saving UK businesses, charities and the public sector money, with £1.9 billion saved so far each year due to reduced administrative burdens.  

  6. The UK’s share of citations in science journals across the world is 12 percent, second only to the USA. 

  7. The UK low carbon goods and environmental goods and services sector is already the sixth largest in the world and is worth £107 billion.  

  8. UK research remains the most productive and efficient in the G8, with BIS funding science and research to the tune of £5.8 billion this year.  

  9. Over 80,000 businesses have had a Business Link health check, which provides free personalised support and advice to small businesses, in the 10 months since launch.  

  10. The UK is in the top five countries in the world for attracting inward foreign investment and second in Europe.