The future of the UK economy, indeed the world, is going to be digital. Of that there’s no question.
So earlier this week the Forum welcomed the announcement by the Education Secretary Michael Gove, that the teaching of IT in schools across the country would be given a radical makeover to make it fit for purpose.
Mr Gove described current teaching of the subject as “dull”, “uninspiring”, and “harmful”.
We welcome this on more than one level though. Our own member research shows employers are keen for education providers to teach youngsters more of the skills required in the workplace – something they say all too often is not happening. Mr Gove’s announcement this week then is exactly the kind of changes to the education curriculum we need to see more of – a targeted approach to how and what school pupils learn in the classroom with a specific eye on the needs of industry.
After all, children learn in order to work. But research in the Forum’s quarterly Referendum ballot last summer did identify dissatisfaction among employers with training and skills. Just 4% of small firms rated the skills of their local workforce as ‘good’, 56% average, and 41% as poor.
In all 65% of respondents felt that a greater focus on employment skills would make it more likely that they would take on young people.
It’s quite an indictment of the faith business leaders have in the ability of schools, colleges, and other education providers to properly prepare our young adults for the challenges of working life.
If Britain is going to move towards a knowledge-based, high-tech economy as the Government has suggested previously, we need to see more ‘tailoring’ of the education system for the needs of industry.
So while this week’s announcement is a step in the right direction from government, there’s more work to be done if the private sector is to drive and grow the economy in to the future.
We need more well educated innovators and entrepreneurs to do that, and the classroom is where those seeds will be sown.
