The basic skills crisis in the UK has left teenagers without the skills even to get employed at their local supermarkets, Personnel Today has learned.
A training expert this week revealed that shops are struggling to find literate and friendly school leavers for entry-level jobs.
Skillsmart Retail, the Sector Skills Council for the retail sector, backed the Leitch Report’s call for more employer-led training in basic skills.
Anne Seaman, chief operating officer for Skillsmart Retail, told Personnel Today: “Retailers tell us they have a problem finding school leavers with employable skills. They see lots of 16- and 17-year-olds without basic reading and writing skills and without the right attitude or social skills.”
Anything that helped shops find employable young people would be welcomed, she added.
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In his report earlier this month, Lord Sandy Leitch told the government that the UK was facing a “lingering decline in competitiveness” due to skill shortages.
He said the proportion of adults holding five grade A-C GCSEs or a vocational equivalent must rise from 69% in 2005 to more than 90% in 2020.
