Expanding flexible provision, increasing mobility between vocational and academic institutions, as well as global mobility and language provision, and creating a National Higher Curriculum and a better qualifications framework focused on the individual, fit for the age of automation, would help get most of our people to where most need to be. Academia should never become a passport to cheap elitism via professional prestige monopolies nor a middle class retirement plan, either. Indeed, I'd be brutal on prestige too: OCW/MOOC style learning, with full credit and opportunity to sit examinations at any publicly funded UK institution for a fee; separate fees for use of facilities and coursework where applicable. Massive crack down on -isms and systematic biases too, particularly ageism (considering what's happening to pensions, anyway). Piddling around with lower education, selective schooling and throwing most people out on the complex market unprepared and without a lifeline in later career, which on-the-job training is failing to tackle, is futile against the challenges that lie ahead. In fact, scrap gatekeeping selection altogether - make the progression harder and mastery supreme. When it comes to the essentials - and knowing one's **** is essential - the state must level the playing field. Failure means GD IRL.
In short, if BoJo can be tutored through a half-decent education, Trump can end up at Penn for business, and Bush at Yale - among dozens of publicly known dunces in positions of power - you'd be surprised how many people are 'good enough'. And good enough is the floor of all creative endeavours. Some merited elitism will likely still remain, but as any good liberal would assert: crack open vested privilege and see what falls out!