Levelling Up The United Kingdom : “a vision for the future”

A summary of the government’s Levelling Up The United Kingdom initiative and its proposed policies to help young people succeed. 

Levelling Up The United Kingdom : “a vision for the future”

“From day one, the defining mission of this government has been to level up this country,” Boris Johnson wrote as part of his introduction to the government’s Levelling Up The United Kingdom initiative. The 305-page long publication was released on 2 February, 2022, and details the multiple ways in which the government plans to “make this a better, fairer country for us all.”

The theory is that if the regions that are currently underperforming are given the opportunities and resources they need to thrive, then the country’s GDP will increase. With this increase will come growth, jobs, higher wages and a more prosperous economy.  

Throughout the publication, the government emphasises a new framework for the devolution of local government powers across the UK. It also emphasises the need for ending geographical inequalities in order to give all areas, and the people within those areas, the opportunity to flourish. 

The program includes many “medium-term missions,” which forecast goals that will be met by 2030. The missions focus on multiple areas ranging from education to infrastructure to local leadership. 

Arguably some of the most important missions are those geared towards young people and their ability to succeed both in education and in the workforce. The government plans to increase investment in areas where it is difficult for young people to attain an education and will also ensure that talented children from disadvantaged backgrounds will be able to access educational opportunities past the age of 16. 

Through these reforms as well as the creation of the UK National Academy, a new digital education service to help students expand their knowledge and succeed in school, the government hopes to eliminate illiteracy and innumeracy. It is also focused on giving students the skills and resources they need to succeed after completing their studies as well. Local Skills Improvement Plans and supporting funding will be set up across England to give students skills desired by local employers.  

In addition, the government will increase apprenticeship funding and encourage work-based training, while also enhancing recruitment services for organisations more likely to employ “younger apprentices and those living in disadvantaged areas.”

Young people are also one focus of “The Policy Program,” which concentrates on supporting communities and ensuring that young people have access to “regular out of school activities, adventures away from home and opportunities to volunteer.” This program will also focus on investing in communities, which young people will also benefit from. It will provide young people with new and improved youth facilities, services and experiences where they are needed most. It will also “help break down barriers and improve accessibility into employment for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, as well as provide urgently-needed finance to over 1,000 charities and social enterprises, particularly in more deprived areas in England.”

This focus on providing deprived areas with more resources and access is also evident in the plan to significantly increase cultural investment outside of London, as the creative industries play a critical role in levelling up, the report said. 

While there are many other policies and programs included in the publication, the emphasis on the need to support young people and ensure they have access to education and resources is one of the most important focuses of this report. And ensuring that young people in disadvantaged areas have the same access as young people in more prosperous areas seems to be key in eliminating geographical inequalities and ultimately levelling u 

Author

Lauren Johnson

Lauren Johnson Kickstart

Lauren is a Trainee Journalist at Voice Magazine and recent University of Florida graduate where she studied journalism and French. She is passionate about immigration issues, mental health and politics, and prior to working at Voice, covered these beats at Fresh Take Florida and WUFT News. Lauren is an avid reader who loves to travel and learn more about the world.

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