School leavers ill-equipped for work

In a week when A level results show another increase in the percentage of pupils achieving As, employers are complaining that too many young people are leaving school without basic maths and English.

In a report published today, one in three businesses says it is forced to provide remedial training for employees, even those with good GCSE results. "In virtually every organisation contacted, senior managers reported that many employees find it difficult or impossible to produce written work," says the report, Working on the Three Rs.

The CBI blames the system of multiple choice exam questions which allows candidates who cannot even construct a sentence to get high marks. Schools are accused of "mollycoddling" pupils, with the result that when in work young people are unable to accept responsibility for themselves. According to employers, young workers are often late, scruffily dressed and have poor communications skills.

The problem is not limited to literacy skills, employers also complained about the low level of maths ability. The report says pupils should be taught functional literacy and numeracy skills so they can book a holiday, calculate 10 per cent off a sale item or work out their wage slips.

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