Many students 'not prepared' for world of work

There is a feeling among many employers that the UK's young people are not sufficiently prepared for the world of work, according to a new report.

Research carried out as part of the Global Skills Gap survey by Think Global shows that three-quarters of the 500 business leaders polled are worried that young people's horizons are not broad enough and they are likely to fail to operate in a globalised and multicultural economy in the future.

The majority of employers believe that, unless better support is given to schools to teach young people to think more globally, the UK is in danger of being left behind by emerging economies such as China, India and Brazil.

When recruiting new members of staff, 79 per cent of employers say knowledge and awareness of the wider world is the most important attribute in a candidate, more so than the 74 per cent who say degree subject and classification are most important and the 68 per cent who think A-level results are.

Commenting on the report, Roger Clarke, chair of Think Global, said UK businesses "urgently" need people with an understanding of the wider world.

"Yet even those students lucky enough to go university still have a large gap in their awareness. It is crucial that we help children to start thinking globally during their school years," he added.

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Posted by Richard Esquilant

Filed: 12-12-2011