Call for government to improve school leavers
An East Midlands business leader has written a damning letter to the government about the skills of school leavers.
Ian Greenaway, president of the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce, said too many school leavers lack the attitude and employability skills needed by business and are "being failed" because they are not being prepared adequately for employment. The letter has been posted to business secretary Vince Cable and education secretary Michael Gove.
Greenaway wrote: "It's a sad fact of life that many of today's school-leavers are coming out of the education system with no real idea of what is expected of them from employers.
"While there are plenty of talented and well-qualified young jobseekers in the local labour market, many lack the 'soft' skills – such as teamwork, enthusiasm, reliability, punctuality, initiative, good communication skills and a willingness to work hard and take responsibility for their own actions at work – which make them employable. These are the attributes that almost every employer places great value on.
"The chamber believes that the way schools and colleges prepare their students for employment should be looked at by Ofsted. It also wants the government to ensure that schools and colleges are made aware of the importance of the attributes required by employers and their responsibility for ensuring students of all abilities are given the best chance of getting into employment."
Last autumn, the chamber published a survey that found 43 per cent of East Midlands businesses had failed to recruit the "right calibre of employee", with almost two-thirds saying they would be reluctant to hire school leavers with no or few qualifications.
