The level of youth unemployment in the UK should be a “national embarrassment”, according to John Longworth, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). He told a conference in London that the education and skills system in the UK was “divorced” from the needs of business.
“Businesses tell us they don’t have the talent pipeline that they need to grow and, as a consequence, we end up with a level of youth unemployment which is almost three times the adult unemployment rate. This, frankly, should be a source of national embarrassment,” he said.
Mr Longworth said skills shortages started early, with too many youngsters leaving school without basic skills to find a job. “There aren’t enough incentives in schools to promote high quality vocational routes, such as good quality apprenticeships.
“Schools are judged on their academic results, which often crowd out the skills needed for life and work. “There is a revolving door system for some young people, who move in and out of low quality courses. “There is not the national infrastructure to promote high quality links between business and education, where both sides can work in genuine strategic partnership.”
A survey of more than 3,500 businesses and educators found “significant” benefits of partnerships, especially for pupils. Read more
