CBI focuses on basic skills

Monday, 23 August 2004 12:00 AM

The Government needs to focus on ensuring that all school leavers have adequate literacy and numeracy skills, according to the Confederation for British Industry (CBI).

In last week's annual furore about the standard of A-Levels the CBI was quick to emphasise that employers reported few problems with A-Level or degree recruits and that its concern is the poor level of those entering the work force after GCSEs.

Giving advance notice of the results of the annual CBI-Pertemps employment trends survey, the director general of the CBI Digby Jones said that firms are being forced to provide "remedial" training in basic skills.

The full results of the survey will be published in September, but initial results show that 83 per cent of employers believe there should be greater emphasis on basic skills.

It suggests that 33 per cent of employers have needed to give school leavers basic training in literacy and numeracy over the past twelve months.

Mr Jones said: "Too many school leavers are failing to make the business grade. A fundamental working knowledge of English and Maths provides a vital foundation for every day-to-day business task. But the education system is letting down many young people and leaving them unprepared for the world of work.

"Employers are left to pick up the pieces and the bill, with many resorting to basic training to compensate for the short-comings of an education system that they have already paid for through increased business taxation.

"Too many leave school without the understanding that being well-turned-out, prepared to work hard, being positive and prepared to keep learning are not for other people - they are the 'here and now' for teenage Britain."

With this year's GCSE results due on Thursday, Mr Jones said that he was hoping for an improvement in the number gaining grade C at English and Maths.

The CBI is further concerned that the discussion around 14-19 educational reform focuses too much on the needs of the high achievers and risks diverting attention from the need to improve basic skills across the school leaving population.

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