3.1 Connecting education and business

The CBI Employment Trends Survey 2004 found that the majority of employers feel that school leavers lack employability skills:

• 62% feel that school leavers lack self-management ability,
• 72% were dissatisfied with their business awareness, and
• 41% believed they had a poor attitude to work.

Education/business link activities, such as work experience, shadowing, site visits, mentoring, presentations by employers, and enterprise activities can play a key role in ensuring the future employability of young people by raising business awareness, providing employability skills and fostering the right attitude.

Opportunities to learn more about business are highly valued by young people. According to a survey commissioned by Ofsted (2004), two-thirds of people aged between 20 and 30 think that their education could have done more to prepare them for working life. Yet schools are judged by exam performance, not by the employability of their pupils. Until measurement of schools' performance based on employability is initiated, there will always be difficulties in connecting school level education and business.

Nevertheless, employers are deeply committed to partnership with education. The CBI Employment trends Survey data indicated that almost three-quarters (71%) of employers provide work experience for school students, and around 59% for university students.

While many employers have valuable links with education establishments, many also perceive significant barriers to developing these. Research from City & Guilds (2005) stated that 25% of employers surveyed had not found a way to make work placement schemes effective. Most of the employers surveyed want a better dialogue with schools and colleges that they support, and would like more support with costs and creating business/education partnerships, as well as clear and joined-up guidance on child protection and health and safety requirements.

In Oxfordshire, the need to improve engagement between business and education is well-known, but is often hampered by lack of resources and information. Effort is being made to address this in a more co-ordinated way through such organisations as the Oxfordshire Education Business Partnership, The Oxford Trust, The Industrial Trust, Business in the Community, and activities being carried out by individual schools and businesses, or individuals in their community.