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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Keeping children cool enough to learn and do exams in the summer is clearly a priority. Pupils in England and Wales lost more than 15m teaching hours in June’s heatwave. @NEUnion.bsky.social calling for a retro-fitting programme to fix it. We need to do something. @suttontrust.bsky.social

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

Fair access doesn't stop at admission. At a minimum we need maintenance loans to increase so students can live on them - and ideally some form of grant brought back for the least well off students.

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

Poorer students were also twice as likely to have missed a deadline or requested an extension because of paid work: 16% compared with 8%.

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

This has a knock on effect on their academic work. In separate Sutton Trust polling, 49% of undergraduates said they had missed timetabled teaching to do paid work.

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

@suttontrust.bsky.social research found that essential costs exceeded the maximum loan for 57% of students living away from home outside London - meaning that they have to work to make ends meet.

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

Family wealth buys time at university. Nearly one in three Russell Group students avoided maintenance loans with family support, while poorer students can take the maximum loan and still need paid work to get by. @thetimes.com

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Potentially a good idea. Other countries - Austria, Germany, Ireland for example - do already have pre-apprenticeship programmes.

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Alan Milburn’s reported proposal for a national pre-apprenticeship route could help. Delivered through FE colleges, it would combine English and maths, technical learning and proper experience with an employer, giving young people who are not yet ready for a full apprenticeship a route into one.

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Apprenticeships are presented as one of the main answers to the NEET crisis. But the system currently reaches very few young people already outside education or work. Previous @suttontrust.bsky.social research found that just 2% of starting apprentices were previously NEET.

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

I'd like to see government and business leaders come together to work through the bargain: what each needs, what each can deliver, and how we turn that into stronger growth and wider opportunity.

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

The best employers already understand that finding potential others miss is a competitive advantage. The opportunity is to make that approach far more widespread.

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Clear commitments from government would give firms a stronger basis for growth, and a shared ambition to unlock talent would give business leaders and government something positive to get behind – with both sides holding a direct stake in making it succeed.

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

In return, business commits to more investment, better jobs, more training and wider routes into careers and progression. Where firms receive substantial public support, those commitments should be measurable and enforceable. This could help rebuild business confidence.

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Government gives business greater confidence to invest: stable policy, faster planning, reliable infrastructure and action on the practical barriers to growth.

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Both experiences have convinced me that widening opportunity should sit at the heart of Britain's growth strategy. There is a "grand bargain" to be made here.

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

I spent two decades helping major businesses grow and become more competitive. Now, leading the Sutton Trust, I see young people with enormous ability and ambition held back by a lack of educational opportunity, the right connections or that crucial first job.

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

As I argue in @the-independent.com this week, Britain's growth and opportunity problems are two sides of the same failure. We are not doing enough to find, develop and use the talent we have.

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Government and business need a bigger shared ambition than getting through the next Budget. Unlocking Britain's hidden talent could be that ambition. It would give firms the people they need to grow, and give more young people a fair chance to get on. @suttontrust.bsky.social

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Our @Suttontrust.bsky.social university best practice guide, published today, provides loads of advice on how universities can close the gap.

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

While student numbers have grown (including for disadvantaged students), the gaps in access to Uni haven't closed in two decades.

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Students from poorer backgrounds have the MOST to gain from going to Uni...but are the LEAST likely to get there. Graduate premium is 55% for kids from an FSM background, compared to 43% for others. But those same kids have a 20% pt lower chance of attending Uni. A gap that hasn't closed in 20yrs

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Reposted by Nick Harrison

The Sutton Trust @suttontrust.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Andy Burnham's government must engage companies as well as classrooms in order to get talented young people into work. Our CEO, @nickharrison73.bsky.social, on the relationship between government and business in @the-independent.com ⤵️ www.independent.co.uk/voices/brita...

independent.co.uk

The UK’s growth and opportunity problems are two sides of the same failure

In order to get talented young people into work Andy Burnham must engage companies as well as classrooms, says Sutton Trust CEO Nick Harrison

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Reposted by Nick Harrison

The Sutton Trust @suttontrust.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

On Tuesday, we'll hold our second event, focusing on apprenticeships. We'll be joined by Skills Minister Jacqui Smith, Siemans UK and Ireland CEO Brian Holliday, Sutton Trust alum Millie Court, Sutton Trust Head of Research and Policy, Billy Huband-Thompson, and @nickharrison73.bsky.social.

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

The reasons for such a significant drop are not explained in the report - and it'd be good to hear any insights from others.

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

This is the period in which the Adult Skills fund was devolved to Mayoral authorities where they exist - although it's not saying that devolution was the issue, and in fact spending fell slightly less in devolved areas.

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

And annual achievements fell by 52% in English and 53% in maths. (Dropping further than spending because of inflation).

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Adult English and maths provision has fallen dramatically in the last 7 years. Between 2016–17 and 2023–24 annual spending on adult English qualifications fell from £135m to £81m over the following five years. Maths spending fell from £155m to £97m. @FEWeek.bsky.social & @Learnworkuk.bsky.social

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

I'm from the North East originally, and I now live in Lambeth in London (!!) @suttontrust.bsky.social

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

New @tesmagazine.com analysis finds that the share of A and A* grades rose between 2019 and 2026 in 118 of 153 local authorities. Of the 33 where it fell, 21 were in the North—including 8 of the North East’s 12 authorities. Every London borough except Lambeth recorded an increase.

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Most areas of England have improved their A-level results since before the pandemic - but places which have dropped back are concentrated in the North, and particularly the North East.

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Reposted by Nick Harrison

Northern Powerhouse Partnership @np-partnership.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

The regional divide in A-level attainment is not going away. Our analysis featured in TES shows that 21 of the 33 local authority areas where the share of A/A* grades has fallen since 2019 are in the North.

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Reposted by Nick Harrison

Rebecca Montacute @beckymontacute.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

The NEET debate has understandably focused on getting young people into work - but there has been much less focus on what happens when they get there. Our new research, out today, finds that first jobs really matter, but that access to the best (with the highest earnings returns) remains unequal -

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

I suspect AI skills will rapidly start to become an entry requirement for many professional jobs. Article in @financialtimes.com Not surprising - but opens up the possibility of a new digital / AI divide. @suttontrust.bsky.social

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Unsurprisingly those from better off backgrounds more likely to get into accelerator or stepping-stone jobs, whereas less advantaged young people more likely to be in low-mobility or comfort trap jobs. @suttontrust.bsky.social @danihpayne.bsky.social @beckymontacute.bsky.com

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

The type of first job young people get makes a massive difference to outcomes. Brilliant new research from @SMFthinktank.bsky.social supported by @PwC-uk.bsky.social Only 13 % in "accelerator roles" which led to £55k earnings by age 35 - compared to "low-mobility roles" which led to only £28k

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

These skills are developed through work experience, mentoring, apprenticeships, feedback and well-managed first jobs. Education can prepare young people for employment, but employers need to offer more opportunities - such as work experience - to acquire the right working habits.

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Half of managers surveyed by CMI had encountered young employees who struggled with punctuality or workplace communication. 4/10 found a mismatch between education & practical requirements of work. The report rightly does not blame young people. @the-Independent.com @suttontrust.bsky.social

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

The DfE should collect national information on its use, duration, educational provision and outcomes, alongside existing data on suspensions and permanent exclusions.

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Schools need workable behaviour policies. Pupils also need assurance that internal exclusion does not become invisible lost learning, particularly when poorer pupils and those with SEND are so heavily overrepresented.

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Obviously this doesn't tell us whether individual decisions were justified, or for how long pupils were removed, what education they received or whether underlying needs were addressed. Government does not currently collect national data on internal exclusions.

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Moreover, 22% of disadvantaged pupils were internally excluded, compared with 10% of their peers. The figure was 18% among pupils with an education, health and care plan (EHCP).

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Internal exclusion may prevent a pupil being sent home and protect others learning. But its use has grown hugely in recent years. Arbor data reported by @theguardian.com show 13% of secondary pupils experienced internal exclusion in 2025–26, up from 5% three years ago. @suttontrust.bsky.social

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Increasing the number of degree apprenticeships will not, by itself, widen access. Employers and government should publish participation by background, spread opportunities more widely and remove the recruitment and cost barriers that screen some young people out before their ability can be judged.

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Competition has reached 11.3 applications for every Level 6 place. Decentralised applications, lengthy selection processes and travel or relocation costs all favour candidates with informed support, professional networks and money behind them.

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

The geography is equally stark. Almost a third of positions are concentrated in ten postcodes. Blackpool has fewer than 0.4 opportunities per 1,000 young people; the City of London has 104.

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

New research reported by @the-Independent.com finds they are 3.5 times LESS accessible to young people eligible for free school meals than Russell Group universities—even among those with suitable grades.

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Degree apprenticeships were meant to open professional careers to a wider group - but they're being monopolised by the middle classes. New Social Mobility Foundation research. @suttontrust.bsky.social

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

A related IPPR analysis a few months ago found that the share of 16- to 24-year-olds satisfied with their lives had fallen from 62% in 2010 to 44%. In the most deprived areas, only one in three is now satisfied with life. As the parent of three teenagers, I felt sad reading this this morning.

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Nick Harrison @nickharrison73.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

One in 20 young people in England now report having no close friends. In 2014, it was one in 100. Heart breaking @IPPR.org research. It's not about kids being snowflakes - but the combo of pandemic, economic insecurity, and erosion of youth services, and digital media. @suttontrust.bsky.social

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