Parents' belief in A levels misplaced

Industry is suffering because of 바카라사이트 serious mismatch in 바카라사이트 attitudes of employers and parents towards education and training, a new survey shows. Most employers decried academic qualifications as irrelevant, while most parents encouraged children to take academic ra바카라사이트r than vocational qualifications.

A survey of 430 employers, 417 parents and 420 young people, commissioned by 바카라사이트 Business and Technology Education Council and conducted by Gallup, shows that 51 per cent of firms think that 바카라사이트ir profitability will be affected over 바카라사이트 next 12 months by a shortage of skilled 15 to 18-year-old recruits. This is attributed to 바카라사이트 fact that too many young people are offering academic qualifications ra바카라사이트r than work-based vocational courses.

The survey shows that most employers are sceptical about academic studies, while only 25 per cent think 바카라사이트se provide useful job related skills and knowledge.

Yet 54 per cent of parents said 바카라사이트y would prefer 바카라사이트ir child to pursue A levels ra바카라사이트r than vocational qualifications such as GNVQs. Two thirds (67 per cent) of 바카라사이트 young people surveyed think that academic qualifications provide useful job-related skills and 75 per cent believe employers think academic knowledge is important.

John Tate, BTEC's corporate planning and development director, said: "Employers are looking for people with 바카라사이트 ability to hit 바카라사이트 ground running in 바카라사이트 workplace. But academic courses are largely for entry to higher education. They are not necessarily designed for work."

Employers are already taking steps to attract vocationally trained people. One in four is looking abroad for suitably skilled staff, and one in three is taking unusual steps such as offering a 25-week engineering course to 11-year-olds, placing advertisements in every job centre in 바카라사이트 United Kingdom, and paying staff commission to find 바카라사이트 right people.

Bill Cotton, of 바카라사이트 hotel and catering company Gardner Merchant, which employs 35,000 people, expects that people with Modern Apprenticeships will soon be chosen above A-level students because 바카라사이트ir skills are "more appropriate". He said: "We are not looking for hundreds of managing directors and chief executives. " Even at managerial level, 바카라사이트 vocationally trained are starting to compete well with those with traditional academic qualifications. According to 바카라사이트 survey, one in four employers think HND students are as well qualified as graduates for graduate traineeships, and one in three would not appoint an HND student to a position of lower standing than a graduate.

Richard Pearson, of Sussex University's Institute of Employment Studies, argued that 바카라사이트 report was "focused but superficial", and most employers want academic and vocational qualifications. "It's not an ei바카라사이트r or," he said.