Leading employers, including Adecco, have claimed that the British education system is failing businesses and the national workforce as the skills gap of school leavers and college graduates is widening and failing to meet the needs of employers. 

This is according to a project by Adecco called ‘Unlocking Britain’s Potential’, which aims “to engage UK business, Government and broader stakeholders in the debate on the action needed to realise the full potential of the UK workforce.”

Adecco and the companies that support the project, such as Aviva and Deloitte, now urge politicians and businesses to help arm potential employees with the skills and qualifications they need to be successful in the job market. This could take the shape of more employers getting involved with schools and increasing work experience programmes and career advice. 

The study, which is based on a survey of 500 employers and 1,000 employees, found that 36% of businesses said the education system was not meeting their needs while 52% of employees stated that the current educational curriculum was not providing youngsters with the appropriate skills. 

Young people in the UK are heavily affected by a high unemployment rate of over 22% and Adecco’s Chief Executive in the UK, Peter Searle told the FT that “as a nation we place insufficient value on the basic tools of employability such as behaviour, attitude and communication – in the classroom, the workplace and in the home. As a result, we fear a whole generation of potential workers will be deemed unemployable, and lost to UK businesses.”

Adecco will be hosting a conference this month in London on the issue to promote a “Ten Point Plan for government and business to take action.” Apart from discussing whether education is failing employers, the conference will also look at how employers can “successfully engage with the lost workforce” and how the right skills and attitudes can be nurtured in today’s labour market.