One in 10 of Portsmouth's workforce has zero qualifications, Census figures reveal

The Resolution Foundation think tank said good qualifications are ‘an important driver of employability and pay growth’ and called on policy makers to boost and broaden people's skill sets.

The latest Census figures from the Office for National Statistics show 105,380 people were eligible to work in Portsmouth in 2021. Of them, 9,980 (9.5 per cent) had no qualifications whatsoever.

Meanwhile, 9.4 per cent had at least one GCSE or equivalent, 14.1 per cent had five or more GCSEs at A* to C/levels nine to four, 22.7 per cent had two A-levels or equivalent, and 37.5 per cent had a degree or higher education qualification.

Combining all these figures into a composite score means Portsmouth’s workforce ranks 45th in the South East and 192nd across England and Wales. By comparison, in Southampton’s workforce 9.7 per cent had no qualifications, but 39.3 per cent had a degree, putting them just above Portsmouth in the rankings at 44th.

Elsewhere in our region, 8 per cent had no qualifications in Gosport while 29.9 per cent had a degree, putting them 58th.

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In Havant 9.7 per cent had no qualifications, while 31.6 per cent had a degree, putting them 59th.

Fareham came out top with only 5.1 per cent having no qualifications and 40.1 per cent had a degree, putting them 25th.

Boston has the worst qualified workforce in England and Wales, where 19 per cent of workers and jobseekers have no qualifications.

At the other end, just 3.7 per cent of City of London work-eligible people have no qualifications.

Hannah Slaughter, senior economist at the Resolution Foundation, said: ‘Qualifications and training are an important driver of employability and pay growth. The stark qualifications divide uncovered by the census will have worsened already damaging pay and income gaps between places across Britain. Policy makers and firms need to do far more both boost and broaden people’s skills and qualifications. This investment will raise incomes, boost growth and help to 'level up' the country.’

The types of jobs people worked also tracked closely with qualification differences.

Further Census figures show 18.5 per cent of workers in Portsmouth were in professional occupations. Across England and Wales, 5.6m people (22.2 per cent) worked in a professional occupation.