Jobs for the boys – making sure that no one is left behind
Ensuring that everyone, regardless of their family background or geographical location, has access to equal opportunity is a key government commitment and integral to its agenda for growth. Yet there is one group - White working-class young men and boys - who continue to slip through the gaps at an alarming rate, in education and employment.
I saw it in my own time as the MP for Barrow-in-Furness. The problem begins to take hold in the classroom where White boys eligible for free school meals consistently underperform. In England in 2023 only a third achieved a grade 4 (a pass) or above in English and Maths GCSEs. Already beginning to disengage from the system, they also experience disproportionately high rates of permanent exclusion. Only 16% of White working-class pupils advance to university, with 8.8% dropping out before graduation. In 2019, over half of UK universities reported that less than 5% of their students were White pupils from low-income backgrounds.
This pattern of under-achievement follows them too readily into the working world, with unemployment rates among men from working-class backgrounds reaching 7.5%, nearly double the 4.0% rate among those from professional backgrounds. Even when in work, these individuals are significantly less likely to receive promotions or meaningful career advancement.
Young men from these backgrounds also experience higher rates of involvement with crime and struggle more with mental health issues than their female counterparts.
Boys who can see examples of parents or family members, or indeed peers, in employment are much more likely to aspire to work themselves. Conversely, an absence of positive employment role models further entrenches the cycle of generational disadvantage, creating communities burdened with higher unemployment, weaker economies and reduced prospects. Seventy-one per cent of coastal towns, for example, experienced slower employment growth and half saw a decline in employment compared to national averages from 2009 to 2018. The social and economic costs to these left behind communities are substantial and growing.
The issue is well-documented and routinely highlighted. The Government has acknowledged the gravity of the situation and set out a comprehensive plan to address youth unemployment and economic inactivity in the 'Get Britain Working' White Paper. The Youth Guarantee aims to ensure that every young person aged 18 to 21 can access education, training or employment opportunities, alongside an expanded Growth and Skills Levy designed to boost apprenticeship and training opportunities. These efforts mark progress, yet significantly more action is required to tackle the challenge effectively.
In the coming months, The Purpose Coalition will publish a new report I am leading on, Jobs for the Boys? – Why White Working-Class Boys Are Falling Behind in Education and Employment. It will outline targeted recommendations designed to enhance employability, elevate aspirations and secure sustained engagement in the workplace. Its ambitions are aimed not at prioritizing one disadvantaged group over another but at delivering true equality of opportunity to ensure that no individual or community is left behind.
To genuinely foster national growth, we must urgently address inequalities wherever we find them. By harnessing the full potential of all our young people, including the most disadvantaged, we can strengthen our economy, reduce welfare dependency and build communities better positioned to thrive and prosper.
