Employers must do more to stop young people missing out on work opportunities due to not having the right skills, Business in the Community (BITC) has said.
BITCย has found that many people who have been in employment did not learn skills at school that they feel would have been useful in their working lives.
Top of the list of skills they wish they’d been taught according to HR Magazine were computing and coding skills (30% of respondents), followed by leadership and teamwork (29%), seeking out opportunities and aiming high (28%), thinking positively (27%) and problem-solving (25%).
Among 18 to 24 year-olds who have been in employment, many of these figures were higher. 39% wanted to be taught computing skills and 31% wanted to learn more about thinking positively, while 22% wished theyโd been taught more creativity (compared to 17% overall).
The research also showed that there is a strong appetite for employers to do more to help young people develop the skills needed for their future careers. 62% of people thought businesses should offer more work experience to young people, while 57% wanted employers to run practical sessions in schools.
To tackle this skills gap issue, BITC andย the Princeโs Responsible Business Network are launching a campaign calling on employers to increase activities that will help develop these skills.
The campaign, called โIf Onlyโ, has three calls to action for employers. These are: running activities that help young people develop skills; using a common language on skills so that young people, teachers and employers can work together to prepare young people for work; and sharing stories of missed opportunities due to skills shortages on social media.
BITCย said that the campaign will highlight the opportunities missed through not enough workplace skills being taught at school, and will focus on what businesses can do to close the gap between skills learned at school and vocational skills.
Rachael Saunders, education campaign director at BITC, said: “it is important that young people are provided with the skills needed to tackle the business challenges ahead.
โThis research suggests that while recent school leavers are more likely to have been taught skills such as computing and resilience at school, they are simply not learning enough of these skills to thrive in their future careers. In a rapidly changing global business environment it is vital that all young people, particularly those facing social disadvantage, can reach their full potential and lead successful working lives.”
Saunders added that, while many employers are reaching out to young people, more could be done. โThe only way to close the gap between skills learned at school and skills needed for work is by employers playing a key role to work with schools and support teachers in helping young people develop the skills they need for work. While many businesses are already doing great work in this area there is still more to be done.โ
