It was a privilege to speak on this think-tank panel that brings together two of my favourite topics - data and social mobility!
As we say at the Open Data Institute, "what gets measured gets done". We need to build trust in the data ecosystem, improve data quality and interoperability, and close data gaps so that we can be effective in tackling social mobility.
There are still significant data gaps in the analysis of social mobility in the UK. Good data is vital for good analysis and good policy. Without the correct data, expensive and lengthy policy interventions can end up being misdirected and we can miss people from data sets. Our work on the Cost of Living last year shows just how large some of these data gaps are, and the negative impact it has on policymaking.
Recent analysis from the Social Mobility Commission shows that outcomes for lower working-class young people are considerably worse in comparison to other socio-economic groups, with 21% of lower working-class young people not in employment, education, or training, compared to 9-11% of young people from higher professional, lower professional and intermediate backgrounds.
Geographic inequalities are a key feature of social mobility - keep an eye out for my upcoming podcast with Ed Balls where we discuss regional inequality.
Last year we (the Social Mobility Commission) launched our Data Explorer Tool, which allows users to understand what the social mobility challenges are in their area and support the development of regional initiatives to promote a fairer UK.