The young are losing out. We need to make education work

When you started your first job, did you arrive on time on your first day? Did you come dressed in the right clothing, show willingness to help with any and every task, ask questions when they were necessary and take advice even if you privately disagreed? You might think such behaviour would be obvious, but plenty of employers say that today’s young people don’t have a clue what to expect when they join the working world.

According to an OECD study published last week, there is a shrinking talent pool of skilled young people entering the UK workforce, while British young adults trail behind their international peers on numeracy and literacy. It should serve as a timely warning to politicians and policy-makers alike, but it should worry us all. If we are competing in a global race, we are currently some way behind the chasing pack.

Out of more than 1,000 British employers questioned in a survey for City & Guilds published today, 60 per cent said that young applicants are arriving for interviews lacking the necessary skills for the job – something that I’ve heard anecdotally, time and again.