Magnified Learning has just published the findings of a survey we carried out in which more than 1,000 young people from across four English regions shared their views on working in different industry sectors.
In each instance, no more than 3% of young people indicated that these were sectors in which they would most like a career.
The day after we published our findings, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) published research focusing on issues of talent supply, observing, "the education system is failing to provide young people with the skills that businesses are looking for".
Sound familiar? It's almost 10 years since the BBC reported on a CBI survey claiming that "the education system is failing young people, leaving them unprepared for the world of work".
And those of us with longer memories will recall many earlier declarations on a similar note. What implications then for the BCC's recommendation that the Department for Education embed employability and enterprise skills in the core curriculum?
Well, it has already been tried, since enterprise and work-related learning became a statutory part of the Key Stage 4 curriculum in 2004. Evidently, it wasn't very effective.
It is hard to grasp why the business community, swift to contrast its adaptability and responsiveness to the perceived sluggishness of the public sector, persists in waiting for a centralised solution to such a pressing matter. When businesses have problems with production lines they sort them out in pretty short order, and if they can't find a contractor to do it, they do it for themselves.
How is it, then, that when it comes to talent supply, so many employers adopt such a passive position? And how much longer can they be prepared to wait for the right calibre of employees to drop off the end of the school conveyor belt? At Magnified Learning, we are pretty clear that the answer to this is: no longer.
Increasingly, there are compelling examples of companies and industry bodies that have developed thoughtful approaches to the challenge, some of whom we are very pleased to be working with. In much the same way as many young people harbour ill-informed and negative impressions of certain industry sectors, too many employers appear pre-occupied with the short-comings of young people, a situation exacerbated by this summer's inner-city disturbances and too much unproductive chatter about hoodies and chavs.
The organisations we work with are enterprising and shrewd enough to see through these smokescreens. They recognise that the vast majority of young people are vibrant, creative and, given the right circumstances, ready to consider previously un-thought of careers.
These businesses understand that this to be more than CSR; that getting into the classroom to work in a structured way with students enables their employees to practise new skills, and build fresh insights into emerging attitudes, appetites and talents of tomorrow's colleagues and customers.
Those choosing not to go down this route will miss invaluable opportunities to promote and develop the skills and attitudes they say they so sorely need. Not only that, but businesses in sectors suffering from a low profile or a poor reputation among young people will be passing up on the opportunity to inspire young minds before lack of interest or prejudices take root.
Can they really afford to do this?
Nigel Rayment, director of Magnified Learning
