Former education secretary Alan Johnson has warned that the number of unskilled jobs in the UK is rapidly decreasing.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Johnson said that the nature of work in the UK had changed meaning there are fewer opportunities for people without qualifications.
Estimating that in the 1960s there were around eight million unskilled jobs, Mr Johnson told the programme that there were approximately 4.2 million today.
"By 2020 we know there will only be 600,000 so there is a much bigger emphasis now on getting a good education and getting qualifications than there were when I was leaving school," he said.
Last month, the government announced that adults under the age of 25 who had missed out on education and training would be eligible for free tuition to gain a full level three qualification.
From August, people will be able to obtain the qualification, equivalent to two A-levels, to further improve their employment prospects.
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