Change of approach required to tackle youth unemployment despite good results

15th August 2013

Commenting on today's A-Level results, John Wastnage, Employment and Skills Adviser at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said:   -Many congratulations to all the students and teachers, whose hard work has delivered another excellent set of academic results.

The end to perpetual grade inflation will go some way to restoring employers' faith in A-levels. We are pleased to see more students taking science and maths, however it is concerning that there has been a drop in the number of foreign languages being taken at A-level.   -It should of course be celebrated that academic achievement amongst school-leavers has remained high. However youth unemployment has risen in recent months and it is clear that there are far too many young people whose potential is being undermined because they have not been taught the broader skills required to succeed in the workplace - despite the strong desire of employers to hire and train them.   -Those who didn't get the results they wanted shouldn't despair. Success is not dependent on academic achievement alone, and employers value hard work, a positive attitude, and skills that are relevant to their business. Apprenticeships can offer a better route to a highly skilled and well-paid job. But if we are to make a strong attempt to tackle youth unemployment we need to see more careers education in schools, more contact between pupils and businesses via work experience placements and employer visits, and for students to have basic business skills when they leave school.