Why do we always look to new techniques and ideas when the tried and tested ones have worked so well in the past?
Isn’t it time we concentrated on a ‘back to basics’ approach and set employment and enterprise at the heart of all our education strategies? How we learn, basic skills and employability coupled with respect for all technical training can lead to a society where ‘I’m just a….’ no longer prevails.
Colleges are now all academic institutions and promote Higher National Certificates and Diplomas with an emphasis on articulation with Universities instead of the valuable Technical Colleges of the past. Why?
The following are quotes from a paper bag, which I received from a bakers shop called La Mie Caline in Cognac when I purchased some bread there recently.
La Mie Caline roughly translates as the Honey Bun in Scotland – we may recognise the same kind of shop here as Greggs the Baker but without many of the assets of its French equivalent!!! I noticed that not only are the staff in all French businesses and shops proud of their position as a worker, but also the management recognise their achievements and role in the company – therefore the statements below about their staff are provided for information for their customers, pride in their staff and testimony to their achievements.
Victoria: I have worked for La Mie Caline in Normandy for 6 years. With my qualifications CAP-BEP in Sales and Customer relations, I am returning to being in Sales. At 26 years old, I am responsible for a team of 3 people in Sales.
Damien: I have always wanted to work in business. I like the action and the contact. I started as a sales person at 18 years old in a Mie Caline in Poitou-Charente. I am 25 years old now and I am responsible for a Mie Caline in a town of 15,000 people.
Florence: I am 35 years old and I am dedicated to the work of bakery products. I have worked for 5 years at the Mie Caline in the Midi-Pyrenees region in the post of preparation. Having succeeded, I am now part of a dedicated and motivated team
Employability is all about the 4 stages – the skills required to Access, Achieve, Sustain and Progress in employment – and, in addition to these, I believe that we need to add Respect.
• It is respect for one’s own aspirations and success.
• It is a respect won from application, motivation and dedication.
• It is respect from the management, staff and customers with whom we work.
Scotland has a greater number of young people who are not in employment, education and training which was referred to as the Not in Employment Education or Training or NEET group. This has changed now with the drive for ‘political correctness’ to become defined as the More Choices More Chances group. But by changing the name it has not been enough to stop the drift of increased numbers of young people languishing in Scottish communities with no opportunities of finding work and little chance of this improving over the next 5 years.
This figure has risen from 12% of the numbers not finding any progression from schools and, in some areas, can reach almost 50% of school leavers.
In one area where we work the resulting action from the local authority was to close the school and move the children to other schools. The costs calculated to taxpayers for supporting these young people, including benefits and their failure to contribute taxes is £3.5 billion pounds
Of the 60,000 young people leaving school, around 30% went on to University and 25% on to Further Education Colleges – 25% found work.
The problem facing our young people today is one which centres on the definition of employability. Education has moved so far away from this central requirement that it no longer considers or plans for the progression from a school environment to a work environment. Work experience and employability skills are given low priority and funding mechanisms do the same by concentrating only on qualification achievement statistics.
What use are league tables when the qualifications gained cannot be utilised with employers and in the community? Academic progressions are of course important but not of general use for a large proportion of those who are leaving school.
CBI surveys have repeatedly found that employers are dissatisfied with the level of skills among young people. In 2008, 40% of those questioned said they were unhappy with the literacy and numeracy skills of school leavers - 17% had been forced to provide remedial help for school leavers.
This is perhaps hardly surprising when you consider that only 25% of young people leave school to go into jobs when they are 16. They are likely to be among the lowest achievers. More than half of 18-year-olds go on to higher education these days, so even those who leave school to enter the workforce at 18 are likely to be among the lower achievers.
In 2008, 40% of 16 year olds failed to pass their maths qualifications and 37% failed to get English. Even by the time they have reached 19, around 25% of young people have still failed to get five good passes of any sort.
Isn’t it time to concentrate on some of the basic ingredients, which will give our young people the chances they deserve, and to strengthen our communities accordingly?
Priority has to be given to the 50% of all young people leaving school to help improve basic skills, achieve qualifications and progress into technical careers with respect for these as fundamental roles within our communities.