The Government has announced plans to create a new Third Sectori skills body which will identify and address skills gaps and shortages for charities, voluntary groups, social enterprises and other third sector organisations.

An ambitious agenda designed to ensure that European Union policies respond effectively to today's economic and social challenges was adopted by the European Commission.

The fourth UK National Action Plan on Social Inclusion ‘Working Together’ has been published. The Plan explains how people from across the UK will be co-operating from 2008 to 2010 to tackle social inclusion and make a decisive impact on poverty.

The UK’s second National Reform Programme (NRP) was published in September 2008. The report sets out the challenges currently facing the UK economy and details the Government’s forward looking agenda of economic reforms.

The Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit has published 'Getting On, Getting Ahead,' which analyses the evidence base on social mobility. The paper analyses the trends and drivers of social mobility, takes independent academic research and identifies key trends and drivers of social mobility.