Schools are not keeping up with the demand for skilled workers - and are deterring pupils from lower-skilled jobs, employers say.
The Migration Advisory Committee, which advises the government on migration, has highlighted widespread dissatisfaction about the extent to which schools are equipping pupils with the skills needed by British industries.
A report from the committee states: “Among high-skilled occupations, employers in many sectors expressed concerns about skills shortages in Stem [science, technology, engineering and maths] areas, suggesting that UK schools and universities were not training sufficient workers in these areas or were not providing students with sufficient business-relevant skills.”
Employers in lower-skilled sectors also expressed “some dissatisfaction with the education system”, the report adds.
An interim report on employers’ attitudes to European workers was published by the committee yesterday.
Vocational education ‘in need of reform’
The British Hospitality Association submitted evidence to the committee, saying: “A career in hospitality is viewed differently in many continental European countries compared to the UK, and this ‘cultural bias’ is reflected in a deeply held antipathy towards the sector from too many parents, careers advisers and teachers.
“Substantial reform in vocational educational is needed to ensure that the next generation of people entering the labour market view the hospitality sector in a more positive light.”
The association estimated that it would need to recruit an additional 62,000 extra UK workers a year, if no immigration from Europe were allowed.
The UK Fashion and Textile Organisation said not enough UK pupils were learning how to sew. It told the committee: “European migrant workers are often more highly skilled than their UK counterparts, partly due to the fact that manufacturing skills, such as sewing, are still taught in schools in Eastern Europe.”
There were also concerns from the Creative Industries Federation, which said there was “inadequate provision in schools, an underdeveloped technical education system and a lack of awareness about careers that the sector has to offer”. It added: “These gaps are only set to get worse as the number of people studying creative subjects continues to decline.”
Finance and insurance companies were concerned at the lack of language skills, while technology firms suggested that the education system was not adapting quickly enough to produce digital talent, and manufacturers wanted more people skilled in science, engineering and maths, according to the report.
An overarching report from the committee says that, in highly skilled occupations, which it takes years to train for, it may be that migration is the only way to alleviate shortages quickly.
But it adds that, in some cases, claims about the level of skill required of workers “seemed exaggerated”.
And it points out that many employers concerned about having an “image problem” among UK-born workers were in low-wage sectors, and the report says that it was not surprising that workers choose more attractive options when faced with similar wages for different working conditions.
Employers in many sectors, including agriculture, aerospace, energy and communications, also said that they worked with schools to promote their industries and the skills needed.
The education sector itself submitted evidence, saying that European teachers were necessary to help schools to cope with the recruitment crisis - with the NAHT heads’ union adding that the government should take “swift action” to guarantee they can stay.
The committee has been asked to provide evidence for a post-Brexit migration system; its final report is due in September 2018.
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