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Alun Francis @alunfrancis.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Technical education ambitions are good, but knowledge remains central, and there are no short cuts to improving outcomes for the lowest achievers - my reflections on the Government’s challenge x.com/observeruk/s...

x.com

The Observer (@ObserverUK) on X

Andy Burnham’s plans for technical education are laudable, but no quick fix https://t.co/qPoa2DUQ8h

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Reposted by Alun Francis

rak @raksky.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

Why are white working-class kids feeling 'left behind'? Fantastic @channel4news.bsky.social report from Grimsby + extended discussion w/ Dr Lisa Mackenzie instagram.com/drlisa1968 / Katie Carr @ publicfirst.co.uk / Alun Francis @alunfrancis.bsky.social Social Mobility Commission & blackpool.ac.uk

youtube.com

Why kids and the working class feel left behind in Grimsby

YouTube video by Channel 4 News

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IPPR North @ipprnorth.bsky.social · 18/07/2025

"IPPR’s ‘State of the North 2025’ brings important focus on the specific challenges faced by many young people in the north of England" @alunfrancis.bsky.social, Chair of the Social Mobility Commission, has welcomed our report highlighting the need to spread opportunity fairly across the country ⤵️

Alun Francis, Chair of the Social Mobility Commission said:

"IPPR’s ‘State of the North 2025’ brings important focus on the specific challenges faced by many young people in the north of England.

"I welcome their use of the Social Mobility Commission's research to illustrate the role that childhood conditions and local labour market conditions play in influencing young people’s later life chances. Our State of the Nation report has been used to show how child poverty has risen in all of the north’s regions since 2014/15 and our Data Explorer Tool reveals that many places across the North have some of the lowest access to higher professional jobs.

"State of the North makes an important contribution to this debate, one which I believe supports and strengthens our call for place-based approaches to address local challenges and spread opportunity to all areas of the country."

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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 13/06/2025

"The inclusion I’m worried about is the poor kid that comes in wanting to work hard, but the rest of the class are messing about and won’t let them." Great interview in @feweek.bsky.social with @alunfrancis.bsky.social. His knowledge and insights are fascinating. feweek.co.uk/alun-francis...

feweek.co.uk

Alun Francis, Social Mobility Commission chair and B&FC CEO

Deprived areas need vision – not victimhood – to level up, and social mobility chair Alun Francis is delivering it with the first ‘Multiversity’ in Blackpool

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Duncan Exley @duncanexley.bsky.social · 15/06/2025

See also "direct relationship between #SocialMobility & innovation, as innovative economies inherently depend on opportunities for upward mobility, where incumbent firms are challenged & new market leaders emerge" (@alunfrancis.bsky.social‬) socialmobility.independent-commission.uk/reports/inno...

socialmobility.independent-commission.uk

Innovation and Social Mobility: Two sides of the same coin - Social Mobility Commission

This piece sets out a direct relationship between social mobility and innovation, as innovative economies inherently depend on opportunities for upward mobility, where incumbent firms are challenged a...

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Alun Francis @alunfrancis.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

What social mobility policy gets wrong: the view from Blackpool

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Alun Francis @alunfrancis.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

Still working my way through this but its an excellent explanation by @samfr of the many flaws in our state system - and why government is so hard, no matter which party is in. www.londonreviewbookshop.co.uk/stock/failed...

londonreviewbookshop.co.uk

Failed State | Sam Freedman | London Review Bookshop

One of Britain's leading policy experts explores the dysfunction at the heart of the British state.***The top 5 Sunday Times bestseller***…

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Alun Francis @alunfrancis.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

Read our latest publication from the Social Mobility Commission, including our critique of existing approaches and what we think needs to change : socialmobility.independent-commission.uk/reports/inno...

socialmobility.independent-commission.uk

Innovation Generation: next steps for social mobility - Social Mobility Commission

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Alun Francis @alunfrancis.bsky.social · 17/11/2024

Excellent report by @resfoundation.bsky.social & neat summary by @torstenbell.bsky.social - but 2 imp omissions 1- changes to families (graduates are very different to non-grads these days) & 2- our failure to develop valuable skills for the bottom 20-30% and the impact of this for them.

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