Reform of skills policy must ‘focus’ on the workplace

A planned review of the UK’s education and skills system must give priority to the practical needs of businesses, particularly smaller employers.

The call was made by the Forum of Private Business (FPB) which is being consulted on the government’s ‘Higher Education at Work, High Skills, High Value’ policy document.

The FPB said that its members were expressing growing concerns at the unreadiness of many graduates and school leavers for the rigours of the workplace.

Specific complaints were aimed by the FPB at Train to Gain, the government’s flagship skills programme.

Small firms have complained that they do not benefit financially, that the scheme’s skills brokers provide little communication and that courses are generally considered to have no relevance to their businesses, the FPB said.

Nick Palin, the FPB’s director of human resources, commented: “It is vital that we take action now to tackle the rise in the number of school leavers and university graduates who are unable to perform the most basic of skills, such as the ability to communicate effectively and perform tasks requiring reasonable levels of literacy and numeracy.”

Mr Palin added: “The FPB has been campaigning extensively for better work-based training in the UK. The government and educational institutions appear to be taking this advice on board.”

The FPB wants government funds to be used to train young people in the skills that business-owners value most in order to fully prepare the next generation of entrepreneurs and managers, and to ensure that the UK remains a key player on the world’s economic stage.