Youth commission

Young people in theory have a world filled with opportunity and longer lives to enjoy it. But for too many these opportunities are out of reach. Educational attainment is increasingly central to life chances, but more dependent on family background here than in other countries.

Rises in insecure work along with stalled pay risk further divides within and between generations. This is a tale of two countries and the challenge that the Youth Commission has tackled: how to ensure all young people have a fair chance in life.

We identified five key challenges to raise attainment and narrow inequalities:

Better supporting the 700,000 young people not in education, employment or training;
Increasing the number of people qualified to at least Level 3;
Improving attainment in literacy and numeracy and other basic skills;
Creating a diversity of higher-level learning routes through life;
Support job quality, career progression, and economic security Debate today is too often polarised between extremes.

The Youth Commission has focused on:

Current education and employment outcomes for young people and how these vary by area and demographic group.
The impact of future changes to the jobs market resulting from automation and global economic change.
Whether current policy plans, including apprenticeships, T Levels and the Youth Obligation, match up to need.
Examples of best practice from the UK and other countries.
Developing a vision for better support for young people, and concrete proposals for delivering this.

The Coronavirus crisis risks widening existing social inequalities in our society. Early research by Learning and Work Institute shows that young people are some of the groups most at risk of economic and social exclusion.

Research and Reports 10 07 2018

Youth Commission report 1 - Opportunity Knocks? Launch Report

Young people in theory have a world filled with opportunity and longer lives to enjoy it. But for too many these opportunities are out of reach.

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Research and Reports 01 10 2018

Youth Commission report 2 - Youth Opportunity Index

Explore the findings of our Youth Opportunity Index, which gives a detailed portrait of the education and employment opportunities and challenges for young people across England.

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Research and Reports 10 06 2019

Youth Commission report 3 - Tomorrow's World: Future of the Labour Market

What are the likely future changes in demographics and the labour market, which will set the context for meeting these future challenges?

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Research and Reports 15 08 2019

Youth Commission report 4 - National and International Case Studies

Delve into evidence of national and international approaches to youth education and employment, comparing them to England, and drawing out key lessons.

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Research and Reports 27 11 2019

Youth Commission report 5 - Fit for Purpose? Education and Employment Support for Young People

How do current education, employment and skills services and planned changes serve young people?

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Research and Reports 30 12 2020

Youth Commission report 6 - Unleashing Talent: Levelling up opportunity for young people

The Youth Commission has explored how to improve education and employment opportunities for England’s six million young people, levelling up opportunity across the country. This final report sets out our proposed blueprint for change.

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Find out more by reading our series of blogs

Youth Opportunity Index

Our Youth Opportunity Index gives a detailed portrait of the opportunities and challenges for every young person broken down by local education authority. It has revealed the intra-regional differences in England as well as regional ones.

Read more See coverage on Channel 4 News

Our commissioners

Kate Green MP

Shadow Education Secretary

Kate Green MP

Shadow Education Secretary
Amy King

Found of Glamsci

Amy King

Found of Glamsci

@GlamSciAmy
Jo Maher

Principal and CEO, Loughborough College

Jo Maher

Principal and CEO, Loughborough College
Maggie Galliers CBE

President

Maggie Galliers CBE

President

Maggie Galliers is President of the Learning and Work Institute Board. She is also Chair of the National Housing Federation, Pro Chancellor and Chair of Council at Buckinghamshire New University, a member of the Further Education Advisory Panel for the Queen’s Anniversary Prizes for higher and further education and a member of the Board of NEBOSH, the National Examination Board in Occupational Health and Safety. Maggie served for sixteen years as Principal of two further education colleges, Henley College Coventry and then Leicester College, and was elected President of the Association of Colleges in 2012/13. A strong advocate for lifelong learning and inclusion, she was chair of the Learning and Work Institute from 2016 to 2022. Maggie has extensive experience at Board level. This includes having been a member of the Ofqual Board, the Further Education Funding Council (FEFC) Quality Assessment Committee, the Quality Improvement Agency (QIA) Board, the National Learning and Skills Council (LSC), the LSC’s Young People’s Learning Committee, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) Teaching Quality and Student Experience Committee and the Teaching Excellence Framework Review Advisory Group. She has also been Chair of City College Coventry leading up to a merger in 2017, Chair of NIACE, a member of the Council of the Open University and Vice Chair of the Learning Without Limits Academy Trust. Maggie was appointed CBE for services to local and national further education in the Queen’s Birthday Honours’ List 2009. In 2013 she was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Education by the University of Bedfordshire for “her outstanding contribution to further education and support for access and progression to higher education.”