The extent to which young people are, or should be, prepared for the “world of work” continues to be debated amongst education policy-makers and commentators.
Both major political parties have made commitments to improve skills and work preparedness: Labour has committed to a two-week work experience placement for every child should they form the next government and the Conservatives have brought in policy change during the last parliament including expanded careers advice for primary school children and the Skills and Post-16 Education Act.
The Times Education Commission suggested that reform of the education system could boost the UK economy by £125 billion a year if new recruits were better prepared for the world of work. As the 2020 Commercial Education Trust (CET) report outlines, almost three quarters of the companies they surveyed feel that their efficiency and profitability would rise by at least 25% if their recent hires had “excellent” commercial ability.
