Share with us your views on the Inquiry – Do schools prepare young people for their future careers?

In its 2015 Education and Skills Survey, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) found that over half of employers were concerned that in the future there would not be enough people available to fill skilled job roles. The report stated that, “The [education] system must change, with more focus on developing the aptitudes and attributes that set young people up for success in both work and life – which matter much more to employers when recruiting than academic results alone”.

Others, however, take a different approach, suggesting that the balance has swung too far towards skills in recent years, to the detriment of the transmission of knowledge in the classroom. Schools Minister Nick Gibb identified at the Education World Forum earlier this year that the government has “reformed the national curriculum in England to put in much of the subject knowledge that previous governments – under the influence of the 21st century skills movement – had taken out”. He cited Daniel Willingham, professor of cognitive science at the University of Virginia, who “explains how the ‘thinking skills’ most prized by schools and employers are dependent upon background knowledge”.

What value should we place on the need to promote other skills that prepare our children for the future, besides strictly academic ones? Is there a role for teaching skills in the classroom, or should teachers focus on imparting subject knowledge? If this is the case, how can young people acquire the attributes that the CBI and others believe are necessary for the workplace?

This APPG for Education inquiry will examine how well our schools are preparing young people for their future, with a particular focus on their readiness for the workforce.

If we are to develop a more productive workforce that will contribute to our growing economy what does this mean for our schools?  Are young people experiencing the right balance between acquiring the requisite subject knowledge and developing the skills and understanding that will make them employees who creatively enhance the productivity of companies?  Should schools be helping young people to develop soft skills, IT skills and a flair for entrepreneurship? What are the skills, knowledge and understanding that world-class employers look for in the expanding area of apprenticeships? Are we providing our schools with the correct framework and sufficient resources to prepare our young people for the world of work?

We intend to develop a clear set of practical recommendations, so that the inquiry is useful to educationalists and policymakers, parents and young people.

The APPG is keen to engage with a wide range of organisations and individuals including schools, colleges and universities; teachers, lecturers and education professionals; young people and representative bodies; employers and representative bodies; parents and carers; educational publishers and suppliers; and other stakeholder organisations.

Terms of Reference

The Inquiry seeks written evidence in response to the following questions:

1. What should our schools be focusing on in order to prepare young people for the future?
2. Should schools play a role in developing skills, or should subject knowledge be prioritised?
3. Who should be responsible for ensuring that young people develop soft, financial and entrepreneurial skills?
4. Do education providers have the resources to prepare young people for the workforce?
5. To help the APPG create a practical set of approaches and recommendations:

1. What example are there of schools and colleges preparing young people well for the workforce?
2. What examples are there of employer-led initiatives that have had an impact?

In addition, the APPG for Education would welcome details of any relevant research carried out by your organisation which it would be willing to share with the Inquiry.