Ambition skills: toward a lifelong learning century

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This is the final report of our Ambition Skills programme, supported by City & Guilds and NOCN. It finds that achieving world-class skills could boost the economy by £22 billion and save taxpayers £8 billion per year and sets out a vision for a lifelong learning century, where more people take part in learning of all kinds and throughout their lives.

Previous reports from the programme have shown how the UK is lagging other countries, particularly on intermediate skills, and that there are persistent inequalities in skills levels between geographic areas and demographic groups.

To turn this around, the report argues, we must reverse the £1 billion cut to Government investment in skills in England since 2010 and the 26% fall in employer investment in training since 2005.

The report includes a number of recommendations:

  1. Aim for world-class learning and skills
  2. Test new community-based ways to increase participation in learning
  3. More support with the costs of learning, including new Learner Accounts
  4. Make lifelong learning a golden thread across all public services
  5. Encourage employers to invest in and use skills
  6. Improve support for career change
  7. Take an open data, evidence-based approach
  8. Expand devolution and work together to simplify

Find out more about Ambition Skills

With support from City & Guilds and NOCN, we've explored the economic and social case for the UK to have a higher skills ambition, what this would look like, and the key policy and investment changes needed to achieve it.
Find out more about Ambition Skills
  • Research and Reports 01 05 2025

    Learning the lessons

    ‘Learning the lessons’ is the third report produced as part of our Ambition Skills programme of work. It looks at the history of adult learning and skills, going back to the late 19th century, and lessons that can be learned.
    Read more
  • Research and Reports 05 01 2025

    Worlds apart

    ‘Worlds apart’ is the second report produced as part of our Ambition Skills programme of work. It finds the UK has larger gaps in workforce skills between different parts of the country than most other European countries.
    Read more
  • Research and Reports 27 05 2024

    The great skills divide: how learning inequalities risk holding the UK back

    The first report in our Ambition Skills programme examines the UK’s qualification profile, projecting it forward to 2035 and comparing against trends for international comparators.
    Read more