News and features

Mon, 8 Dec 2008

Employers 'must support skills development in schools'

Employers and schools understand the need for mutually-supportive programmes to aid the development of young people's skills but a new survey has found gaps in delivery on the ground.

Employers must support schools in developing the skills and career expectations of young people in order to close the current gap and better prepare pupils for the workplace, a new report has said.

However, the study from advice service b-live found there is currently little cooperation between educational institutions and employers, with one quarter of schools having a formal partnership with a national organisation.

Furthermore, while 42 per cent of schools say the employability of their pupils is the most important element of their "careers curriculum", 40 per cent of teachers do not feel this curriculum is at the heart of their school's strategy.

On the employers' side, 73 per cent of said work experience is the best way of improving school leavers' employability, yet only 18 per cent believe their company provides enough of these types of opportunities.

Tanja Kuveljic, b-live's managing director, said: "Only when employers provide support to schools in delivering the careers curriculum will young people leave education with the relevant skills and realistic expectations of the workplace."