The way we work is changing. Approaching the size of the public sector, one in seven of us now work for ourselves. Public policy has struggled to maintain pace with this change, leading to a lack of support to help the self-employed upskill. 

The vulnerable self-employed are struggling as a result – unable to access training opportunities, they are at risk of becoming trapped in a cycle of low-pay. This is not only a problem for the self-employed, but for our economy as a whole. Training has been identified as key to both increasing earnings and tackling the UK’s productivity problem. 

To create an economy that can thrive in the future, IPSE has developed a bold strategy to enable the self-employed to invest in training at every stage of their careers.