Too many new employees arriving straight from school or college are not ready for life at the office and lack an appropriate work ethic, small businesses have said. Their inability to cope with the demands of the workplace is being blamed on the education system. According to a poll carried out by the Forum of Private Business (FPB) last year, 62 per cent of respondents wanted to see ‘employability’ placed at the centre of further and higher education. The poll suggested that school leavers possess only average or below-average skills sets, and many fail even to show evidence of a basic grasp literacy and numeracy. Businesses complained that FE colleges did not provide the levels of training required by the jobs for which students applied. The FPB argued that part of the problem was the relatively unstructured environment in higher education. In response, the FPB is supporting initiatives aimed at encouraging better social aptitudes and an understanding of workplace culture among students. Len Collinson, the FPB’s national chairman, said: “The FPB was encouraged by the Prime Minister's speech at the Labour Party Conference, when he talked about taking higher and further education to the workplace. The FPB is taking part in a project which supports the encouragement of undergraduates in acquiring basic social skills and a work ethic.” Date:3 October 2007
Content by: Made Simple Group
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