Advice from the FSB: Business attitudes towards school leavers

The Federation of Small Businesses is the UK’s largest campaigning pressure group promoting and protecting the interests of the self-employed and owners of small firms. Formed in 1974, it now has around 200,000 members nationally, 5,000 of those in Greater Manchester and north Cheshire.

Simon Edmondson, FSB Regional Chairman, writes…

The FSB has recently published research carried out with members in the Greater Manchester region which looked at business’ attitudes to school leavers.

It also touched on the wider education system and business owners’ thoughts on how where education providers could be doing more.

In short, the results identified a disturbing lack of confidence in our schools and colleges. The poll asked respondents whether education providers equipped pupils with the necessary workplace skills.

Just 4 per cent indicated ‘yes’, 61 per cent ‘no’, while 35 per cent described it as ‘hit and miss’. If this was a report card, you might say schools ‘must try harder’.

The same poll went poll went on to ask which skills sets were most lacking when new starters arrived for work. In total, 11 per cent indicated English, five per cent maths, 44 per cent said general work ready skills, while worryingly the remaining 40 per cent indicated ‘all of the above’.

It’s a disappointing assessment of the current education system, and demonstrates a worrying lack of confidence among the business community in the ability of schools to prepare young people for the world of work.

And this in spite of so much school focus on work-readiness over the past decades.  And while it is only a snapshot, there will be many – both inside and outside of education – rightly concerned that business owners have such a low opinion of so many of the raw recruits who turn up for work fresh from the classroom. This has to be addressed.

So we’d like to see more schools re-introduce work experience. We’d also like to see schools do more to teach pupils about what’s expected – like ditching the mobile during the working day.

And parents must play their part too. Making sure that we have the next generation of workers fit for purpose is crucial for everyone in the UK, and we all have a role to play. We can’t expect all youngsters just to ‘know’ what’s expected.

If there are any businesses in Saddleworth and beyond that would like to be added to our database of work experience friendly firms, please contact our regional office on 0161 488 455.