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UK Business struggle with work placement schemes

According to new research from City & Guilds, employers are desperate for more support and guidance to make work placements a valuable experience in the wake of the Tomlinson report, which calls on businesses to provide 14-19 year olds with a vocational experience.

Responding to these potential reforms, the research identified that seven in ten (71 per cent) UK businesses in industries, believe there should be stronger Government support to improve the current schemes that see students obtaining their first taste of the workplace.

Businesses are very specific about what is needed to enhance the current systems - more than half (57 per cent) want better dialogue with schools and colleges, 56 per cent call for stronger guidance on how to develop and run effective work placement schemes and nearly two thirds (62 per cent) urge the Government to offer tax breaks to help them prepare the young for the world of work.

While employers are embracing work placements - two-thirds have offered a student a permanent position - a quarter claim that they've never found a way of making them successful. Managing a young person in the workplace causes headaches for many of the respondents. One in ten feel uncomfortable about having a parental type role over a young trainee and more than a quarter (28 per cent) worry about health and safety issues.

According to the study, more help is needed to develop and run effective work placement schemes that will benefit both employers and students. At present, nearly one in two (46 per cent) businesses said that they take up too much management time and 68 per cent said that they are unable to leave their young trainees to go about their day alone.

"There is no doubt that employers fully support the Government and Tomlinson's recommendations to equip 14-19 year olds with workplace skills and provide them with a true vocational experience," said Chris Humphries, director general of City & Guilds. "However, there appear to be some glitches in the current system which need to be ironed out if employers are to fully play the part envisaged for them.

"Tomlinson stresses the importance of employer support. Therefore, it's vital that businesses are incentivised to take on young people, so that they can provide them with the opportunities and skills that will be in demand.

"At the same time, employers have explicitly said that they expect colleges and schools to play a greater role in thoroughly preparing their students before they embark on their work placement and to draw out their learning experiences on their return."

The research was undertaken by The Survey Shop in October 2004. The sample consists of employers from trade industries, such as construction and engineering who have, or have had in the past, students on work placement schemes. In total, 319 interviews were conducted by telephone.

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