Three-quarters of firms feel that the British education system is failing to equip young people with the skills they need to enter the workforce, according to a study published this week.

The poll, which was carried out by Freshminds on behalf of the Young Enterprise charity, involved contributions from 28 of the country's most significant companies and professional bodies, including Kraft, HSBC, BT, Proctor & Gamble, General Electric, Santander and the Chartered Institutes of Accounting and Marketing.

Of the 28 firms, 21 felt that education in Britain leaves young people without the skills they need to contribute to the workforce.

 

The survey also highlighted further concerns among such companies. 59% of the firms felt that the British education system was poor at developing young people's entrepreneurial skills. 18 of the businesses, meanwhile, thought that the education system was poor at developing financial skills among young people.

Said Ian Smith, chairman of Young Enterprise, "With a million young people unemployed in this country, this powerful Young Enterprise research is a wake-up call. Young recruits are presenting themselves for interview without the vital employability skills that employers look for – such as attendance, punctuality, motivation and a general "can do."  Too many businesses are using this lack as an excuse to employ foreign workers or shift work abroad.

"The situation is getting worse because the Department of Education is adopting an alarmingly narrow focus on academic skills and exams which will make it less likely that students emerge from education with these employability skills. We believe the Government needs to adjust its approach. It should put enterprise education on the formal National Curriculum. Ministers should also encourage businesses to send staff into schools to help young people learn the world of work. If we do, we can create a step change in the quality of recruits our schools are turning out."

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