Young people leaving education ‘without practical skills needed for work’, report claims

A significant number of bosses believe young people are finishing education without the practical skills needed for work, a new report suggests.

A study of 1,100 managers revealed that half had encountered young employees who lacked an understanding of punctuality or appropriate communication.

The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) stated that key qualities sought included speaking clearly and professionally, alongside accepting feedback well and acting on it.

Petra Wilton, director of policy at the CMI, said: “Young people are putting their faith in education to prepare them for work, so finding out on day one that employers expect a different set of skills can be a rude awakening.

“Four in 10 managers who hire young people have experienced a mismatch between what they have learned through education and the practical requirements for the job.

“The answer is not to tell young people they are not ‘work ready’, or to pile more blame on Gen Z. These are skills that can be built through work experience, apprenticeships, mentoring and dedicated training opportunities to practise communicating, taking feedback and handling setbacks.

“If we want to tackle youth inactivity and build the next generation of talent, we need to prepare young people for work while also making sure our workplaces and line managers are ready for young people.”

It comes after it was announced that supermarket giant Sainsbury’s will offer work experience opportunities to around 10,000 young people.

The scheme, aimed at young people living in disadvantaged areas, is part of a government initiative targeting youth unemployment.

Starting in October, it will offer workplace visits, career workshops and practical work placements across England, Scotland and Wales to help even more young people enter the workforce.

Macauley Quinn, vice president of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), said: “Against a backdrop of a stifling skills shortage and recruitment challenges, our research suggests many businesses may be driving young talent out before it has the chance to flourish with 31 per cent having considered leaving a job and 12 per cent having considered leaving the workforce entirely due to its impact on wellbeing.

“High-performing employers recognise the full importance of maximising the potential of their workforce. This is the route to achieving excellence and market competitiveness. By investing in the next generation, employers are investing in their own future.”

Last month, business leaders said young people were increasingly showing interest in “AI-proof” trade jobs while employers are placing more weight on interpersonal skills.

Jambu Palaniappan, chief executive of Checkatrade, said tradespeople were typically older, with a large proportion over the age of 50, while there have been fewer younger people entering the industry.

“That’s changing now, where people are really interested in an AI-proof job,” he said.

“And I think the trades industry will really benefit from that.

“There is clearly more openness to pursuing skills-based and vocational training and apprenticeships to support those careers.

“It’s not just about ‘university or nothing’.

“We see a lot of ambition amongst young people in terms of entering the industry, but I think what’s missing a little bit is connecting the dots with the actual opportunities.”