Social Mobility & Apprenticeships – Why is it Important?

Supporting less advantaged people to access the benefits of apprenticeships has been key to UK Government policy relating to the scheme for some time. But why is social mobility important and how does an apprenticeship affect it?

What is social mobility?

To understand the importance of apprenticeships and how it affects social mobility, we need to be clear about what is meant by social mobility.

Social mobility is defined as the movement of individuals or families within or between the accepted social confines of society. In other words, someone changes their status from the one given to them by society or another situation.

In Britain, we talk of ‘classes’ of people. The working class is the people who traditionally worked manual, hard labor jobs. The middle classes were seen as the management with the higher classes as those that own the wealth. The aristocracy is those above them again.

There is a whole different debate about class but in essence, people have often been confined by the class or environment that they found themselves in. So a young person born into a working-class family was not, on the whole, expected to go to university.

Over time, however, this has changed. Accessibility to education has meant that people of all ages are now more ‘socially mobile. In other words, they have moved from one class or strata to another.

Whilst apprenticeships are ideal for all students, those from less-privileged backgrounds are working in sectors that traditionally pay less. And this means that they remain in low-paid jobs, even though they are highly skilled.

How apprenticeships can be life-changing

Social mobility, moving into different strata by being able to access education or acquiring certain skills, is life-changing. Apprenticeships are not just about getting a foot on the career ladder but progressing through the seniority levels of a career pathway.

Apprentices, be they young people or others looking for a career change, acquire long-term skills. But they also provide opportunities to people who otherwise be unable to access such opportunities. These hurdles can include lack of finances or support, as well as trying to make learning with family life or caring for relatives.

Social mobility in apprenticeships

In 2020, several reports were released that address social mobility and apprenticeships. The UK Government has set lofty targets for the apprenticeship scheme in England (the four nations have devolved responsibility for maintaining their apprenticeship schemes). The target for English apprenticeships was set at three million from 2015 to 2020.

The vision was not just about numbers but about the creation of broad, high-quality apprenticeships that, amongst other targets, were powerful in influencing the social mobility of apprentices.

But the reviews and reports in 2020 indicated otherwise. The UK Government itself acknowledged that there were failings

· There had been a 36% decline in apprenticeships started by people from disadvantaged backgrounds – this impact was greater on older apprentices (aged 25+) and female apprentices

· The take up of degree-level apprenticeships amongst the same group was also low at only 13%

· Apprentices from disadvantaged backgrounds tended to cluster in the same sectors of apprenticeships, namely health, education, or public administration

· On average, apprentices from disadvantaged backgrounds earned less than those from privileged backgrounds, in part because of the apprentice sectors they were working in

Despite the hurdles and the barriers, as well as the obvious work that needs doing to improve the national apprenticeship scheme in England, there is evidence that apprenticeship can and does boost social mobility.

The report by London Economics in 2017 found that people from less privileged backgrounds who did complete their apprenticeship did get a larger boost to their future earnings than other learners. But at the same time, it was found that the same group of apprentices were likely to be paid the minimum apprenticeship wage, one of the main reasons why they found it unsustainable.

This boost in wages was found to be significant when apprentices from disadvantaged groups completed intermediate apprenticeships. The report also found that apprentices from disadvantaged backgrounds were more likely to complete their courses and work on time.

There is a new concern o the horizon, however, in the shape of the coronavirus pandemic. The report suggests that disadvantaged apprentices were at greater risk of economic decline, with many employed in hard-hit sectors such as services, hospitality, and retail.

The future of apprenticeships and how social mobility can be improved further

The recent swathe of reports have not been without ideas and suggestions for improving the apprenticeship scheme, whilst also highlighting its benefits for those learners from disadvantaged groups, amongst others.

#1 Greater transparency of social mobility performance – no one has said that apprenticeships are a bad idea or no good but there needs to be a better understanding and awareness of the barriers that exist for some learners.

#2 Targeted outreach – students in schools and colleges need to be aware of the scheme and how it could benefit them, and the opportunities it brings.

#3 Review and improve pay – critical to the success of the apprenticeship scheme is pay. Abolishing the current lower apprenticeship wage will make a huge difference as it tends to be applied to those apprenticeships in the sectors under-privileged students seem to opt for, such as retail and services.

#4 Equality of funding – funding streams within the scheme itself is thought to have contributed to the decline in the uptake of some apprenticeship schemes. The apprenticeship levy has funded more higher-level apprenticeships for learners from more advantaged communities, over and above those of apprentices from disadvantaged socio-economic groups. In other words, funding streams need to pinpoint schemes that attract disadvantaged learners so that they benefit from even greater social mobility opportunities now and in the future too.

The future of apprenticeships is strong…

… but the reports are clear: the scheme cannot be left to its own devices. As society changes and the demands and hurdles presented to disadvantaged groups do, so too must the apprenticeship scheme to meet these challenges head-on. But overall, the prognosis is good – for all students, a national apprenticeship at all levels does bring many benefits now and well into their future careers.