Ministers should reinstate compulsory work experience for pupils in English schools, business leaders have urged. Some 82% of more than 3,000 bosses polled by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said all pupils under 16 should be offered work placements.
The coalition government scrapped compulsory work experience in England in 2012. BCC director John Longworth said this had been 'careless... but it is not too late to correct the mistake'. He described work experience as 'crucial to ensure that every school pupil has the chance to feel the energy, dynamism, buzz and challenge of the workplace for themselves'.
According to the survey, 79% of business leaders said work experience was vital for equipping young people with the skills they need. However, 36% said their own firms offered no work experience of any kind. Small businesses were much less likely to offer placements, with 59% of firms with fewer than 10 employees not doing so, compared with just 12% of those with more than 250 staff.
The BCC is calling for more help for businesses, particularly small firms, wanting to offer work placements. The survey found more would offer placements if given better information on requirements and benefits, as well as help building relationships with local schools.
A Department for Education spokesman said the government was 'determined' to help teenagers make informed career choices and was providing support through the Careers and Enterprise Company. Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, welcomed the BCC’s call, saying the government should also fund local authorities to rebuild careers advisory services 'lost due to government cuts'.
