Young people lack basic workplace skills, warn businesses

A generation of young workers do not have the basic skills needed to survive in the workplace, a Conservative business leader has warned, because of the legacy of pandemic lockdowns.

Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith said that the disruption caused to education by the coronavirus pandemic had left students without the necessary experience or “practical lessons” required to perform well.

Employers, she said, had noticed “gaps” in student resumés, because young people had been unable to acquire the desired work experience or technical skills.

Lady McGregor-Smith currently sits as a Conservative peer in the House of Lords. Previously, she was CEO of Mitie, a major British outsourcing firm.

Now, Lady McGregor-Smith has said that the government must do more to support young people as they enter the workplace, in a report published February 6 by the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC).

We have got a big catchup to do … and we have to accept that what [pandemic disruption] did is a challenge

Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith

Speaking to the Telegraph, she said: “We have got a big catchup to do, to really support those who have been going through school and coming out of school and university, and we have to accept that what [pandemic disruption] did is a challenge.”

“But we can catch up. We are urging [the Government] to put it all back in – make it more applied at school, encourage more work experience as they get older. “

The BCC’s report comes at a time when the effects of pandemic disruption on the abilities of young people has become increasingly apparent.

Over a third of GCSE-level pupils last year failed to achieve a Grade 4 or above in English and Maths, the level required to pass the subject.

Meanwhile, unemployment in 16 to 24-year-olds has risen by over a fifth in the last year – from 10.5% in Autumn 2022 to 12.7% a year later.

Gen Z staff are addicted to their mobile phones, reluctant to work weekends, and lack banter

The Daily Mail

For their part, businesses have expressed distress at the inexperience of younger staff.

In November, the Daily Mail reported that: “Gen Z staff are addicted to their mobile phones, reluctant to work weekends, and lack banter”.

Amelia Brooke, a career coach, told the Mail that it was “disheartening” to see that so many young people lacked “basic knowledge”, giving as examples “describing different wines” and “understanding the contents of a cheeseboard”.

Darren Wilson, a pub landlord, despaired that “they haven’t got a fire in their belly”.

However, the business news site Raconteur has highlighted that criticism of the abilities of young workers is no new phenomenon.

In particular, it points out a BBC article from October 2014, which carried many of the same concerns that young people lacked communication skills and team working.

So though many current businesses may blame lockdowns for the current workforce standard, “the reality”, it notes, “is more complex”.