It’s still grim up North.

That was the message as we digested a new report by the Northern Powerhouse Partnership (NPP) on the serious issues facing many schools and students in the North of England.

The Educating the North report revealed that disadvantaged children in the North received significantly worse GCSE grades than their counterparts in London and other parts of the UK. At its starkest, the report points to provisional results for last year which show that northern 16-year-olds receiving free school meals achieved an average grade score 6.5 points below their equivalents in London and 1.3 points below those in England as a whole.

The consequences of this attainment chasm are wide-ranging and significant. Not least, this educational divide is creating a serious skills shortage for employers that threatens to derail the whole Northern Powerhouse project itself.

As a proud Mancunian and obsessive about all things education, I confess to finding reports like this as depressing as they are predictable. I grew up in the North West and remember only too well the challenges and conditions we faced in our state-run school. But the fact that an educational North-South divide exists to this day is frankly an embarrassment. I echo Collette Roche, chair of the NPP’s education and skills group when she remarks that these findings “should act as a wake-up call to everyone involved in education and skills in realising how far the North is behind the rest of the UK.”

Stand-out proposals

Some things are getting better. As the Department for Education noted in its response today, last year’s Autumn Statement announced a social mobility action plan, which is backed by an additional £72 million targeted at improving standards. But this money is intended for the most deprived areas alone - it is not going to change the wider educational imbalance that has blighted our country for generations.

But amid the doom and gloom, there are interesting recommendations in the report for how we start addressing the situation. As the leader of a business myself, two proposals particularly stood out.

The first calls for employers of all sizes across the North to pledge to “mentor or provide high-quality experience of the workplace” to at least the same number of young people as they have employees. I agree wholeheartedly with this ambitious proposal.

At Caxton Associates, we have made the decision to properly commit to mentoring and delivering fulfilling work experience for students - especially those who do not have the background to otherwise access such opportunity. Indeed, initiatives like ‘NextGen’ from the charity Speakers for Schools make it simple for businesses to source exactly those young people to provide great work experience.

Businesses across the North - sole traders to multinational giants -  should embrace the challenge set by the NPP. It is this type of on-the-job learning and employment experience that will solve the skills shortage and build the skilled, diverse workforce to fuel the Powerhouse.

The North and other challenges

But it cannot be left to businesses alone to teach these skills - schools must also step up to the plate. That’s why I agree with another of the NPP’s recommendations: that all schools, universities and further education providers measure the “employability and eventual success” of their learners at 25. This means proper long-term thinking: a joined-up approach that encourages accountability across the board by actively tracking what happens to young people after they leave the education system. That’s the only way to identify what isn’t working and to get it fixed.

I have said before that schools should fundamentally change their approach to equipping students for the job market - championing bold, innovative thinking over tinkering around the edges. Take Cheadle Hulme High School: a state school in Greater Manchester I attended many years ago, which I now have the privilege to be involved with through my role at the Laurus Trust. The school’s inspirational headteacher introduced a curriculum that teaches pupils the oft-neglected skills they need to impress in interviews and wow future colleagues. From voice coaching and improvisation to debate clubs and roleplay, teachers give their students the skills to succeed beyond the exam hall. This is not just about funding - it’s about creativity and being unafraid to try new things.

But why should people care about educational attainment in the North? Put simply, I believe this cuts to the fundamental challenge we face as a nation - especially one that must maximise every bit of its potential in the wake of Brexit.

For too long we have ignored the North-South divide or marginalised it as a side issue. Reports like this show that millions of young people have suffered - and continue to suffer - as a result of this neglect. Now is the time for proper action and following the NPP’s recommendations would be a good start.

Andrew Law is chairman and CEO of Caxton Associates and chairman of the Trustees of Speakers for Schools

Want to keep up with the latest education news and opinion? Follow Tes on Twitter and Instagram, and like Tes on Facebook