Students not learning employment skills, say teachers

A teachers’ group has called on the government to boost British youngsters’ job prospects by helping them to learn skills which would give them an advantage in the competitive employment market.

With exam results coming thick and fast, Association of Teachers and Lecturers general secretary Mary Bousted expressed concern about the outlook for the 40 per cent of teenagers who fail to achieve at least five GCSEs graded between A* and C.

“Students are turned off by the exam culture dictated from on high,” she explained. “To succeed in education, work and life, young peop

le need to develop useful and transferable skills.”

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Ms Bousted accused education chiefs of focusing purely on achieving top grades rather than ensuring the next generation of workers is adequately equipped to handle the demands of modern employers.

Last week, Dan Hawes of the Graduate Recruitment Bureau claimed that although there remain plenty of job opportunities, some graduates are not searching beyond specifically-targeted recruitment schemes.

Posted by Colette Paxton