Alan Milburn has been appointed by prime minister Gordon Brown to chair a panel of industry leaders bidding to help more working class people get into professional jobs.
The former Cabinet minister will head a commission on social mobility as the government gets back to its socialist values.
Writing for the Sunday Times, Milburn said: “Birth not worth has become more and more a determinant of people’s life chances.
“It cannot be right that bright young people find themselves unable to get on the professional career ladder.”
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Policies reportedly under consideration include:
- Creating state-funded internships for poorer graduates
- Forcing the army to set up more cadet corps in comprehensive schools
- Reforming the state school curriculum so children are taught debating and interview skills.
- Shaking up the career structure of professions such as the media and law, where very low salaries for new recruits deter youngsters from poor backgrounds.
Milburn’s review stems from a white paper on how to improve social mobility, expected to be published this week.
