It examines how differences in background, education and opportunity shape who develops, uses and benefits from key skills such as literacy, numeracy and adaptive problem solving. The report finds that socio-economic background strongly influences who builds skills valued in the labour market, while differences between men and women appear mainly in how skills are used and rewarded. It highlights that current training systems often favour those already advantages by higher education, thereby widening opportunity gaps. The report emphasises that as skill demands evolve faster than policy cycles, investing in lifelong learning and using timely labour-market intelligence are crucial to help people adapt, strengthen productivity and ensure that no one is left behind in a changing world.

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