25.05.12
Solving the skills mismatch
Businesses have long been complaining that graduates and new recruits have the wrong skills for employment, which has led to skills shortages despite mass unemployment.
This is one problem that has an obvious solution; if these young people were trained in the right skills, they could fill the posts available in the workplace, to their own benefit as well as employers and the wider economy.
So what is going wrong?
It seems an emphasis on pass rates above employability is one key factor, with education and training more and more removed from the reality of the workplace. Additionally, popular courses are being offered to whoever wants to try their hand at it, rather than a limited number of spaces which mirrors opportunity in those sectors.
Greater communication between employers and training providers could help to fill this gap and ensure the courses taught, and most importantly the numbers taught, will be of benefit, not detriment, to the workforce.
This is not about dictating what young people should study, but it will provide them with a more realistic representation of industry demand.
Tell us what you think – have your say below, or email us directly at [email protected]