Recent reports revealing that more than a third of young people in England who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) live in just nine cities have reignited important discussions about social mobility, access to opportunities, and the role of education in shaping positive futures. Nottingham is one of these cities.

Nottingham is a city with no shortage of talent, ambition or potential. Yet, like many cities across the UK, it faces challenges in ensuring that everyone has equal access to the opportunities needed to thrive.

Nationally, around 13.3% of 16 to 24-year-olds in England are not in education, employment or training, representing approximately 840,000 young people.

Although Nottingham’s figures are not the highest, the city’s inclusion within this group highlights the importance of continued action to improve outcomes for local people and strengthen social mobility across the city.

This is not a question of ability. It is a question of access.

At a time when employers continue to report skills shortages across key sectors, there is a growing need to connect people with the education, training and support that can help them move forward. The challenge facing educators, employers and communities is not simply helping people gain qualifications. It is ensuring everyone has a fair chance to progress, regardless of their background, circumstances or starting point.

Bridging the Opportunity Gap:

If potential has no postcode, opportunity shouldn’t either.

Across Nottingham, there are countless ways to gain skills, build confidence and progress. Yet access to those opportunities is not always equal.

For some learners, the barriers are practical, financial or personal. For others, they stem from a lack of awareness, confidence or access to the information and support needed to take the next step.

Every learner’s journey is different. What matters is not how someone progresses, but whether they are given a fair opportunity to do so.

Whether through an apprenticeship, further education, higher education or lifelong learning, people should be able to access the support, guidance and opportunities that help them develop their skills, achieve their ambitions and move forward with confidence.

Learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) often face additional challenges when transitioning through education and into employment, highlighting the need for inclusive approaches that recognise and respond to different needs and strengths.

Closing the opportunity gap means ensuring that everyone can benefit from the opportunities around them, regardless of where they live or the route they choose. It means creating an education and skills system that is flexible, accessible and responsive, helping people build the skills, confidence and connections they need to thrive.

Because social mobility is about more than opening doors. It is about making sure people can walk through them.

Why This Matters to Nottingham:

Nottingham has always been a city of innovation and reinvention.

From its roots in lace making and mining to its emergence as a hub for technology, healthcare, education and professional services, the city has continually evolved to meet the needs of a changing world.

Today, the opportunities available to Nottingham’s residents are vastly different from those of previous generations. The challenge is ensuring that access to those opportunities evolves at the same pace.

As industries change and skills demands continue to grow, it is vital that everyone, regardless of their background, circumstances or postcode, has the chance to benefit from the opportunities the city creates.

The recent debate surrounding NEETs and social mobility echoes themes explored through our Heritage Open Days event, Opening Doors: The Extraordinary Impact of Everyday Education Heroes. The event highlighted the often-overlooked role that educators and employers play in connecting people with opportunities.

Creating greater equality of opportunity is not simply about improving outcomes for individuals. It is about ensuring that more people can access the skills, support and connections needed to participate fully in Nottingham’s future.

Because potential can be found in every corner of the city. Opportunity should be too.

How Skills and Education Group Is Helping:

At Skills and Education Group, we believe the opportunity gap can only be closed when education, employers and communities work together.

Through our qualifications, professional development, apprenticeships and sector partnerships, we help create the conditions that allow more people to realise their potential. We support educators to deliver high-quality learning, help employers connect with future talent and champion opportunities that enable learners to progress with confidence.

Our work is underpinned by a commitment to inclusion. We support approaches that recognise different strengths, respond to different needs and help ensure that all learners, including those with SEND and additional support needs, can access meaningful opportunities.

Alongside this, the Skills and Education Group Foundation helps address the barriers that can prevent people from reaching their potential. Through grants, partnerships and community initiatives, the Foundation supports projects that improve learning, wellbeing, employability and social inclusion.

Together, this work helps more people access the skills, support and opportunities they need to move forward, regardless of their starting point. While the challenges highlighted in this article are particularly relevant to Nottingham, they are reflected in communities across the UK. Closing the opportunity gap requires a collective effort to ensure that potential is recognised, nurtured and supported wherever it is found.

More Than Qualifications:

Social mobility is about more than education alone.

It is about ensuring that people’s ambitions are not limited by their background, circumstances or the opportunities available to them.

Although this conversation has been framed through the lens of Nottingham, the challenge of widening access to opportunity extends far beyond one city. Across the UK, educators, employers and communities are working to ensure that more people can develop the skills, confidence and connections needed to progress.

As an organisation working across the education and skills sector, Skills and Education Group is proud to support that ambition. Through qualifications, apprenticeships, professional development, sector partnerships and the work of the Skills and Education Group Foundation, we help create opportunities that enable individuals, communities and industries to thrive.

Because social mobility is not simply about helping people get ahead. It is about creating a society where potential can be recognised and nurtured wherever it is found.

Potential Has No Postcode:

Every community is home to people with talent, ambition and potential.

The responsibility for closing the opportunity gap belongs to all of us: educators, employers, policymakers, charities and communities working together to ensure that opportunity is never limited by circumstance.

By championing inclusive education, skills development, apprenticeships and progression opportunities, we can help bridge the gap between aspiration and achievement, ensuring that more people have the chance to build the future they want.

Because social mobility is not about creating opportunities for a select few. It is about ensuring that everyone has the chance to access them.