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Research finds skills mismatch

According to research by the education foundation Edge, 75 per cent of people running small and medium enterprises (SMEs) feel there is a mismatch between young people's skills and the requirements of their organisation.

Almost as many - 71 per cent - said the job market contains too few people with vocational qualifications and practical skills, and two thirds believe every young person should study at least one vocational qualification at school.

Andy Powell, chief executive of Edge, said: "Employers recognise that vocational qualifications equip young people with the skills and experience they need to help make their businesses successful. There are many paths to success and helping young people develop work-related skills in school is just one step to ensuring we have the talent the UK needs."

Edge found that in the last year 58 per cent of SMEs funded or arranged training and development for their staff. Training in job specific skills is the most in demand (85 per cent), followed by communication skills (35 per cent), team working skills (33 per cent) and customer care skills (32 per cent).

The research was released in the run up to VQ Day 2009 which takes place on 24th June. VQ Day is designed to celebrate the millions of people who study for a vocational qualification every year and those who help them achieve this success. The event is being led by Edge in conjunction with a range of organisations from the vocational qualifications community.

Anne Tipple, national skills development executive for the British Chambers of Commerce, added: "Many SMEs are feeling the pinch of the recession and want to make sure their workforce is operating at an optimum level. Vocational qualifications have a huge impact on small businesses, and on 24th June employers around the country will join the VQ Day celebrations to highlight the benefits vocational qualifications bring to UK businesses.

"Now is the perfect time to ensure that all our young people are getting the right kind of training to meet the needs of businesses and ensure the UK can accelerate out of the recession and continue to compete on a global level."

External links

For more information about VQ Day, visit: www.vqday.org

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