National Employer Skills Survey

The National Employer Skills Survey for England, published by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, found that 1 in 5 employers report skills gaps in their existing workforce, a 4% rise since 2007. Despite this, the percentage of staff which employers train has fallen from 63% to 56%. However, the majority of employer that had recruited a young person into their first job in the last 12 months were satisfied with the skills levels of school leavers and recent graduates.

Chris Humphries, Chief Executive of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills said: "Work experience, apprenticeships and internships are an easy and relatively risk-free way of sampling the calibre of young people, and I would encourage all employers to provide these, as well as being open-minded enough to make suitable permanent positions available for young people looking for their first job".

Read TES article
Read survey findings