Member

The facts are stark. Today, only 10% of all adults hold a level 4 or 5 qualification, versus 20% in Germany and 34% in Canada. Some 26% of our workforce are underqualified for their jobs, versus the OECD average of 18%. What is more, the UK has higher skills inequalities than other equivalent countries. Adults in the west midlands are three times more likely to lack basic qualifications at GCSE level than those in London. If we reached German levels, an extra 290,000 people in the west midlands would have higher level qualifications. While 71% of Londoners look set to have higher education by 2035, the figure for Hull is only 29%.