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.
Audience/stakeholder: Third Sector
The Third Sector, like all other employers of professionals, can contribute substantially to mentoring and other programmes to raise the aspirations of young people. More specifically, this sector has a crucial role in developing programmes to improve school students’ soft skills, thereby raising their capacity to progress; and in helping to inspire students to the wealth of professional opportunities by providing enriching activities in school, such as cultural activities. This sector will also be invited to work with Government, the professions and trade unions to produce a common best practice code for high-quality internships and an Internship Quality Kitemark scheme.
Recommendation 4: A national network of career mentors
The professions and Government should together introduce a national scheme for career mentoring by young professionals and university students of school pupils in Years 9 to 13. The national mentoring scheme should involve partnerships with employers, voluntary organisations, universities and schools.
Recommendation 16: A richer school experience
The Government should scale up its support to third sector organisations providing soft skill development programmes for young people. It should ensure that cost-effective and well-evidenced programmes are available in all parts of the country. Soft skills that could be prioritised include team working, leadership and presentation skills.
Recommendation 20: A richer school experience
The Government should work with the arts and cultural industries to deliver cultural programmes to a network of ‘Arts Explorers’ aged 5 to 11 years. They would receive an annual programme of visits and training in arts and cultural activities, including music, dance, theatre, software and video making.
Recommendation 47: Establishing a fair and transparent system for internships
The professions, the Government, trade unions and the third sector should together produce a common best practice code for high-quality internships.
Recommendation 51: Recognising best practice: a national Kitemark for employers
The professions, the Government, trade unions and the third sector should agree an Internship Quality Kitemark scheme for high-quality internship programmes. The Kitemark should set out the criteria that a high-quality internship placement should meet (based on the common best practice code for high-quality internships proposed in recommendation 47).