Justine Greening calls for more focus in the North to aid education gap and improve children’s futures

Rotherham-born Ms Greening, the architect of the Opportunity Areas programme during her time in government, was in Yorkshire yesterday (October 14) to witness first-hand opportunities being created at the University of York, in her capacity as head of the Social Mobility Pledge.

Ms Greening, 51, who was education secretary for two years under Theresa May, called for the Government to back The Yorkshire Post campaign to expand the Opportunity Areas programme across the whole of the North.

Universities Minister Michelle Donelan, who oversees the Opportunity Areas programme, last month insisted that the Government is committed to its levelling-up agenda amid mounting pressure to expand the pioneering educational scheme in Yorkshire across the North of England.

Leaders in Yorkshire said long-term investment in education and empowering more local communities was needed across the North of England to tackle inequalities.

Ms Greening told The Yorkshire Post: "My message to Michelle Donelan would be - it’s great to hear that you are committed to the agenda now delivery on that by signing up to The Yorkshire Post campaign and agreeing that this region can finally get a wave of new opportunity areas which will make as much difference as the ones that are already there."

Ms Greening, whose father lost his job in the steel industry in the 1980s and retrained as a welder but still struggled to find work, added: "If the Government doesn’t take action - children will continue to miss out on an industrial scale in the UK. I don’t believe that is acceptable, I also don’t believe it is tenable.

"That is one of the messages from the electorate in the North of England, at the last election - they want change.

"They are fed up of promises that politicians don’t deliver on and Boris Johnson’s government now needs to put its money where it’s mouth is and also finally come through with a plan for levelling-up that people can see happening in their local communities day-by-day and it gives them a real sense of change on the ground that is not more jam tomorrow because that’s what we’ve always been told year after year - and things need to be different."

During her visit Ms Greening was at the University of York as part of the Social Mobility Pledge campaign, a coalition of 450 businesses globally, as well as 50 universities. She heard about how the institute is committed to creating opportunities in higher education including for young offenders and care leavers.

Ms Greening, who left May’s cabinet after she refused to move from the Department of Education, to be business secretary, said: "In communities right around the North of England, young offenders, care leavers - all these sorts of programmes can really make a difference, someone being able to have the chance to do a degree here.

She added the role of Russell Group universities, especially those in the North, and other institutions in the region would be “crucial” in the levelling-up agenda, and stressed they needed to increase opportunity for all.

She said: "If the levelling up agenda is going to happen it is absolutely crucial that Russell Group universities take more responsibility for making sure they are truly open, not just to most young people but all young people who have got the potential to go to university.

"The Government should be looking at what already works and more of it... That’s why opportunity areas can make such a big difference, and that is why looking at what local universities like York, but also like Bradford which is very involved in the Bradford opportunity area… those are just some of the institutions that the Government really needs to get behind and it should be helping them do more of what they are already doing."

Ms Greening, a former pupil at Oakwood High School in Rotherham, said long long term investment in Yorkshire’s existing opportunity areas, where children’s reading, writing and maths scores at primary school level increased by 12 per cent above the national average - with Bradford seeing the biggest improvements - 16 per cent, since the original policy was announced in 2016, was needed.

She added clearer pathways for the future were also needed to help those leaving education into jobs, including those in the green and technology sectors - such as opportunities created by wind power in the Humber and the Northern Gas transition to hydrogen.

She said: "Many parts of Northern England are facing big economic challenges, particularly following lockdowns and it has never been important that the Government - first of all supports those local economies but also looks to the future...and makes sure that they investment goes into not just protecting opportunities today, but protecting opportunities tomorrow and that starts with education - it really does.

"You have to look at some of the growth areas… there are new careers coming in the green economy. “All of these changes on the green economy mean new jobs, new opportunities and what we now need is for schools to be able to have the capacity to be able to educate young people and give them the skills, so when they come out of our education system in the years ahead."

A Department for Education spokewoman said: "Now more than ever, our focus is on levelling up opportunities to make sure no-one is left behind. We’re transforming the skills landscape so everyone has the tools they need to succeed and our world class universities are working with their communities, schools and colleges to tap into the brilliant talent our country has to offer.

"Initiatives like our £1 billion Covid catch up fund and pupil premium funding will help to close the attainment gap, and we are investing £3.6 billion in childcare and early years education this year alone, as well as providing the biggest increase in school funding in a decade.

"We’ve extended our Opportunity Area programme for a fourth year, investing £90 million to improve skills and outcomes for thousands of young people in some of the most disadvantaged parts of England, including three here in Yorkshire. We’re now taking what’s worked from this place-based programme to spread its reach even further and have set aside £1 million to help other places tackle similar challenges to improve outcomes for thousands more young people."

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Thank you

James Mitchinson