How education is opening up the path to management

Education needs transforming to build a more sustainable and inclusive future – that’s the message of this year’s International Day of Education. Access to education helps societies around the world to address issues such as gender and race equality, poverty and social mobility. In the UK specifically, the government has made ‘levelling up’ a central part of its agenda, with the aspiration that people in socially deprived areas can access wealth and opportunity. Certainly, broadening access to high-quality education will help with ensuring a sustainable flow of future new talent into the workforce.

So, how can we make sure that more people get the kind of education that will help their future career and development prospects?

Further education isn’t just a degree

Recent CMI research in the UK has shed light on how education and training gives people  from ​​lower socio-economic and ethnic minority backgrounds a better chance of becoming managers and leaders. Right now, unfortunately, CMI analysis of official labour market data shows that 53% of those in management roles come from a high socio-economic background, compared to 38% from a low socio-economic background.