After many decades of post‑war stability, the world feels unsettled. Institutions, treaties, economies and partnerships are all facing pressures that are testing their resilience - but the legacy of that period remains deeply woven into our national story.
The decades after 1945 reshaped Britain’s social and economic foundations: the creation of the NHS, sustained public investment, and a period of broad‑based prosperity, all expanded opportunity and created unprecedented social mobility.
Rebecca Garner, Serco Group’s Head of ESG
Employment was central to that transformation. As the economy boomed, Britain entered what is often described as a ‘golden age’ for jobs and mobility. Unemployment reaching a post-war low of just 1% in July 1955, while real-terms household disposable incomes rising 22% between 1950 and 1959.
Expanding public services reshaped the labour market: by 1979, the public sector employed more than one in four workers. The growing NHS alone employed 1.2 million by 1981, opening new career pathways for working‑class Britons - particularly women – supporting many to move into skilled, better‑paid work. As Harold Macmillan famously remarked in 1957, “Most of our people have never had it so good.”
Today, the picture is different. Turbulent geopolitics continues to impact everyday lives, the acceleration of AI is disrupting the jobs market, and the wealth gap continues to grow. Unemployment – especially among young people – is at a five‑year high, with nearly one in eight 16–24‑year‑olds now NEET. The number has risen sharply since the pandemic, costing the economy an estimated £20bn in lost GDP. Social mobility has also stalled: studies suggest movement is now downward for many, with one in five Britons earning less than their parents. This all has deep costs to individuals and society. A young person who remains on benefits may lose around £1m in lifetime earnings. Prison leavers who are unemployed six weeks after release are twice as likely to reoffend within a year, contributing to the £18bn annual cost of reoffending. Veterans, too, often struggle with the transition to civilian work, facing underemployment and gaps in skills and mental‑health support.
The diagnosis is clear: to improve social mobility, we must improve access to sustainable employment. That’s why it’s encouraging to see real focus in this area, reflected in the government’s £1bn announcement this week to unlock new jobs and apprenticeships for young people, signalling a shared ambition to expand opportunity and strengthen routes into work.
Ministers have clearly grasped the scale of the problem. Last year, the government also unveiled a Youth Guarantee Scheme to support young people into work, encompassing learning or employment opportunities and paid work placements for 18-21-year-olds on benefits and looking for work. The Ministry of Justice’s efforts in recent years have more than doubled the number of ex-offenders finding steady work after release from prison, while the Ministry of Defence has unveiled new initiatives to provide veterans with hiring and upskilling support and job opportunities. All these moves are welcome, and we, as public service providers, have a central role in helping government realise this ambition.
Thriving communities are built on the strength and stability of sustainable employment. Without the expansion of public services, employment and social mobility would not have been able to reach new heights in the post-war years. Today, organisations delivering public services at scale are the heirs to that legacy – it is organisations such as Serco which have a duty to transform the lives of young people and other disadvantaged groups by creating fair, supported and sustainable routes into work. It’s this belief which powers Believe in People, our campaign to create meaningful opportunities for everyone to reach their potential.
We’re here to support the government’s mission to help people back into work. Serving millions of citizens, we understand the barriers faced by disadvantaged groups, and we know what works to overcome them. Designing and operating integrated public systems is what we do every day - reducing friction, improving access, and helping remove the obstacles that hold people back.
As part of our work for the Department for Work and Pensions, Serco has supported nearly 22,000 people who were long‑term unemployed into steady employment since 2021. We’ve recently launched a new initiative focused on opening up meaningful work for people who have historically faced exclusion. Through structured support, targeted partnerships and hiring reforms, we’re helping individuals build stable careers while strengthening our own workforce, so we can deliver more for the citizens we serve.
Take people with criminal convictions. As a major partner to the Ministry of Justice, Serco shares the government’s goal of reducing reoffending by providing prison leavers with work opportunities – for a job is the biggest defining factor in breaking the cycle of reoffending. In partnership with the charity and social enterprise Offploy, we’re improving our recruitment practices and expanding sustainable job opportunities at Serco for people with criminal convictions. We also offer skills and training initiatives at the prisons we operate, tailoring our programmes to labour market intelligence and job opportunities in release areas to ensure prisoners are equipped with exactly the skills they need to find sustainable work once released. We understand, better than most, the hurdles ex-offenders face in the workforce, and we’re committed to aiding them in their return to work and their journey towards rehabilitation.
Or take youth unemployment – now at its highest level in over a decade (16.1%). Tackling this issue through apprenticeships has rightly been one of the government’s biggest priorities. With more than 4,000 16-24-year-olds making up around 15% of Serco’s UK workforce, we’re committed to providing apprenticeship opportunities for young people and we are ambitious to do more to expand our apprenticeship offering. We’re proud to partner with a network of specialist training providers to ensure we’re providing our apprentices with high-quality training and support as they upskill, advance and unlock their own potential.
We are also exploring a new approach that delivers employment and skills support directly from local leisure centres - everyday community spaces where young people already go for activity, connection and confidence‑building. By rooting support in these settings, we can create a more holistic package that links physical activity, mental wellbeing and personalised guidance into work. It reflects something we see across all our programmes: helping someone into secure, sustainable employment is one of the most effective ways to improve long‑term mental health and personal stability. And meeting people where they are makes that first step feel far more achievable.
Emma Copeland
The difference this kind of opportunity can make is clear. In January 2023, Emma Copeland was referred to DWP’s Restart Scheme in Wales, having been long-term unemployed. There she discovered a Level 3 Business Administration apprenticeship at Serco – an opportunity that quickly became more than just a qualification. Through the programme, she developed real‑world skills, and as her confidence grew, so did her ambition. In a full circle moment, she went on to secure a role as a Supply Chain Coordinator on the Restart Scheme itself, helping others find employment. Emma credits that first opportunity with helping her recognise her potential and giving her the confidence to keep progressing. With that in mind, she is now taking her next step and completing her Level 4 in Business Administration. Her story is a powerful reminder that when opportunity meets potential, it can change lives.
Tackling the challenges around employment and social mobility demands coordinated action across sectors. Many businesses are already stepping up, but public service providers like Serco have a particular responsibility to contribute and are well placed to help shift the dial. By deepening our partnerships with government and continuing to join up frictionless, citizen‑focused public service systems, we can use our experience and insight to accelerate progress and revitalise social mobility for another generation.