Social mobility should explicitly be the top overarching social policy priority for this and future governments. The Government should develop new ways of embedding this priority across all government departments. It should develop new partnerships with civic institutions, professional bodies, community organisations and individual citizens to help deliver this priority.
Lead department: Cabinet Office
Cabinet Office is responsible for the Government’s overall social mobility programme, including the New Opportunities White Paper, and will establish the new Social Mobility Commission. Cabinet Office will also lead on improving information about fair access to the civil service and work with BIS in developing ways to extend apprenticeships in professional areas of employment in government departments.
Recommendation 70: Flexible professions: new opportunities for career progression and extending the ladder of entry points into the professions
The Government should extend apprenticeships in professional areas of employment in government departments. Where applicable, these should be explicitly linked to existing management development programmes such as the Civil Service Fast Stream.