Employers want to recruit ‘ready for work’ young people

Jo Faragher

Businesses want the education system to prepare young people better for the workplace, according to a survey by the CBI and Pearson Education and Skills.

More than half (61%) are concerned that school-leavers lack resilience and the ability to manage themselves, while a third are concerned about their attitude to work.

One area employers are happy with is young people’s IT skills – nearly all firms expressed satisfaction with their technical knowledge when they join the workplace.

Literacy and numeracy were high on the agenda for the employers surveyed – 85% would like primary schools to focus on developing maths, reading and writing skills.

Two-thirds of companies said they would be prepared to take on a larger role in the school careers system, while just over half (52%) said schools should help pupils develop a greater awareness of what working life was like.

John Cridland, CBI Director-General, said: “Businesses feel very strongly that the education system must better prepare young people for life outside the school gates, or risk wasting their talents.”

“The journey from school towards the world of work can be daunting, so we must support schools and teachers to help develop the skills, character and attitudes students need to progress in life.”

“We’re hearing the right noises from politicians of all colours, but the need for genuine reform on the ground remains.”

“We need young people who are rigorous, rounded and grounded, and business stands ready to play its part.”

The CBI surveyed 291 people, employing around 1.5 million people. Four-fifths said they felt careers advice was simply not good enough to help young people make informed choices.

Looking towards the long-term, many firms had concerns that they would lack the skilled staff they needed in the future, particularly with a background in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects.