Nearly half of employers are forced to provide basic lessons for school and college leavers in reading, writing and arithmetic, according to a poll. Figures released by employers’ organisation CBI from a survey of 566 employers showed that 44 per cent have to invest in literacy and numeracy training. The results revealed that more than four in 10 employers are not happy with the level of English displayed by school leavers, while more than a third said they were not satisfied with their arithmetic. CBI director general John Cridland said: “Companies do not expect (schools and colleges) to produce ‘job-ready’ young people, but having a solid foundation in basic skills, such as literacy and numeracy, is fundamental for work.”