Research published this week has claimed that Britain's youngsters are not fully prepared to work in a global economy - putting the UK at risk of being left behind by emerging nations such as China and India. The British Council survey which suggests that many employers are struggling to recruit staff with a “global outlook”
Three quarters of business leaders (74%) are worried that many young people do not have broad enough horizons to work in a globalised and multicultural economy, according to a study by the British Council and Think Global. A similar proportion (75%) believe that the UK is in danger of being left behind by emerging countries such as China, India and Brazil unless young people learn to think on a more global level. The research is based on interviews with 500 UK chief executives and board level directors. The findings suggest that UK students are not fully prepared for the global demands of British business.
The vast majority (93%) of those questioned said it is important for schools to help their pupils to think about business on a global scale, with 80% saying that schools should be doing more on this issue. It also reveals that knowledge of the wider world is more valuable to many employers than exam results.
When recruiting new employees, 79% of those questioned said knowledge and awareness of the wider world is important, compared with 74% who cited degree subject and classification, and 68% who said A-level results were important.
Jo Beall, British Council Director of Education and Society, said "This research shows that while British students are extremely keen to gain international experiences, there aren't enough of the right opportunities for them to gain the professional skills that British employers really value."More information on the survey can be found by clicking here.