Labour is promising to end the requirement for academic qualifications such as degrees or A-levels for jobs in the Civil Service unless they are “genuinely relevant” to the role.

Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner says the move will form part a wider drive to end the “snobbery” around academic qualifications.

In a speech to the Association of Colleges in Birmingham on Tuesday, Ms Rayner will say a Labour government will open up the Civil Service to broader range of candidates, ensuring it better reflects the diversity of British society.

She will argue that removing the requirement for academic qualifications will enable them to consider an applicant’s broader life experience when deciding who is the best person for the job.

Ms Rayner will say: “We will end the snobbery that underpins attitudes towards different types of qualification and end the assumption that academic qualifications should be a basic entry requirement for jobs in Whitehall, limiting them to where they are necessary.

“Government itself will lead the way in setting a clear example to other employers that a person’s skills and experience is as valuable as any particular type of qualification.

“And we will ensure that those working at the heart of government become more representative of the country they serve.”

A Cabinet Office spokeswoman said: “There are already many ways people can join the Civil Service without a degree and many frontline roles do not require this level of qualification.

“Central to our ambition of becoming the most inclusive employer in the UK by 2020, apprenticeships are another route into the Civil Service.

“Not only do they support our commitment to building a broader set of skills in the Civil Service but they allow us to offer more varied careers that will help us retain and attract the best talent.”