CBI/Pearson Education and Skills survey finds business-school engagement is down

Evidence shows that if a young person has four engagements with businesses at school, they are five times less likely to be unemployed. However, our 2018 survey produced with Pearson found that employer engagement with young people in education has reduced from 81% in 2017 to 75% in 2018, with businesses citing a lack of guidance as a key driver in difficulties with engagement.

This is something we must reverse if the education system is to prepare young people for the modern world and work. That's why the CBI is campaigning for businesses to step up and connect with the schools and colleges most in need.

Encouragingly, two-thirds of respondents (65%) want to play a greater role in supporting schools and colleges. This means that employers aspire to do more, and with the right guidance and support more engagements can happen.

The CBI’s annual education and skills survey represents over 28,000 business of all sizes, regions, and sectors, providing a unique insight into employer’s perception of our education system.

Other key findings include:

• Employers expect to recruit more people over the coming years but worry there aren’t enough skilled people to fill the vacancies.
• Four in five businesses plan to maintain or increase their spending on training, but there has been a sharp drop in apprenticeship programmes because of the Apprenticeship Levy.