Brandon Busteed of Gallup is concerned that young people are not being prepared for working life.Hehas said that,
there is a very real disconnect on what is being taught and the experience students are getting at a university level.”
Equally young people are struggling to break into employment because they lack the experience and skills necessary to appeal to employers and employers are dissatisfied with many of the new recruits that they get, with seven % of employers saying that they do not intend to recruit any graduates.Is the answer apprenticeships?Many see the answer to the problem lying with the increase of apprenticeships, where young people are employed whilst also studying for a nationally recognised qualification relevant to the job that they are doing.For many, this will provide an ideal solution – they will receive tailored training from an industry expert who is actively working in the field, rather than a simulated working environment in the classroom, which may well train them in methods or in the use of equipment that is outdated.Apprenticeships aren’t for everyone though – in some regions for example you might find exactly the apprentice job that you are after, but sometimes there may not be an apprenticeship offering to suit you. You still need to get work ready though and for many young people the concern that they have is that they have no employability skills and they don’t know how to get them.There are a number of options besides the obvious claim that schools, colleges and universities need to do more to prepare young people for working life by developing their employability skills and connecting with businesses to provide young people with meaningful work experience.TraineeshipsTraineeships are available to anyone aged between 16 and 24 who are qualified under level 3 and willing to work. Traineeships can be a great stepping stone to an apprenticeship, but they are also a good way of gaining the skills that you need to be called ‘work ready’.What about a gap year?Gap years can provide a fabulous way of not just developing your employability skills but also of developing those wider skills which come with independence. Gap years don’t have to be about trekking to Thailand to work with elephants (although many like this option. You don’t even have to go abroad and spending some time committing yourself to either one major cause or a variety can set you up very well for the future. So, are you prepared for working life? - maybe not, but there are many options available to you to get work ready.
