Education system needs to ‘better prepare’ young people for work

BUSINESS leaders in Greater Birmingham have called on the UK to develop an education system that prepares pupils better for work.
The call follows the publication of figures which showed a decline in the number of pupils achieving A*-C GCSE grades in the West Midlands.
Paul Faulkner, the GBCC’s chief executive described the 2.9% fall in the percentage of pupils in the West Midlands achieving  A* – C grades as “disappointing” although pointed out it was in line with national trends.
He said: “The decline is also linked to the government’s attempts to encourage more pupils to achieve A* to C grades in Maths and English which has seen tens of thousands of students who missed these grades last year re-sitting.
“Whilst grades are clearly important for young people we also believe that the UK’s education system needs to perform better at preparing students for the workplace by enabling them to develop the softer skills that employers are increasingly looking for. Communication skills, the ability to work in a team, and problem solving skills are invaluable in the workplace and are particularly attractive to employers.”
Mr Faulkner said it was vital that students were exposed to work alongside their academic studies.
“We believe that the best way to develop these skills is by exposing students to businesses and the world of work alongside their academic studies,” he said.
“Our research indicates that doing so increases students’ levels of awareness of career pathways and can motivate them to work harder in their studies.”
Elliot Mason, policy and patron adviser at the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, added: “Today represents an important moment for these young people as they look ahead to the next stage of their education or training.
“It is incredibly important that students and parents take the time to explore the full range of options available so that they can choose the one which best fits their skills and ambitions.”

The Governor for Bloxham School, Elisabeth Lewis-Jones urged businesses to invest in young students in order to help them prepare for the world of work.

She said: “If we want bright young students to join our business we need to be prepared to invest in people from an early age – giving them a flavour of work, helping them to develop their CV and ensuring that they have made a career choice appropriate to their skills and interests.

“Ideally businesses should develop links with schools, colleges and universities in order to facilitate this.”

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