A group of schools and firms take the skills gap into their own hands
“ADD water, not oil, if it gets dry,” Zafar Hussain tells pupils at Small Heath School, scattering turmeric into a sizzling pan of chicken balti. He goes on to explain how to manage ingredients in a restaurant kitchen. His business—a curry house—is doing well. But although youth unemployment in the area stands at 20%, he struggles to find employable staff. So here he is, trying to educate young people before they leave school.
“ADD water, not oil, if it gets dry,” Zafar Hussain tells pupils at Small Heath School, scattering turmeric into a sizzling pan of chicken balti. He goes on to explain how to manage ingredients in a restaurant kitchen. His business—a curry house—is doing well. But although youth unemployment in the area stands at 20%, he struggles to find employable staff. So here he is, trying to educate young people before they leave school.
Young Britons not only lack abstract literacy and numeracy skills (see article). They also join the labour market with little work experience and practical training—or so businesses complain. One study by the British Chambers of Commerce concluded that many leave education with “fairly useless” degrees in “non-serious subjects”. Another, by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), a business lobby group, found bosses disappointed by the disorganisation of school-leavers and their general attitude to work.
Today science, maths and technology modules are accompanied by presentations about related careers. Unusually for a school, Small Heath has CBI membership, which gives it useful links to businesses. Aston Villa football club has commissioned the statistics class to redesign a network for young supporters. Birmingham Airport hosts food technology exercises; back at the school, pupils are taught how to prepare in-flight meals.The class in Birmingham is part of a scheme that aims to solve this problem. Staff at Small Heath School have experimented with a business-friendly curriculum since 2000, when Digby Jones,a former head of the CBI, accused the education system of failing employers. Richard Riley, a teacher at the school, wrote to him asking what should be done. He and his colleagues then set about injecting workplace practices into school life.
It seems to be working. The school has made good academic progress. And last year fully 223 of its 224 leavers went into employment, education or training. In one of the most deprived wards in a city where 43% of 16- to 18-year-olds are not known to be learning or working, that is impressive.
Small Heath’s success has caught the eye of local politicians and business owners. One, Rachel Maclean, established a not-for-profit organisation to convert its methods into a simple template that other schools can use. Around 50 local firms were consulted during the devising of the “Birmingham Baccalaureate”, and 12, including Mr Hussain’s, are involved in imparting the training. After June 2014, when the pilot ends, the organisers plan to introduce the “BBacc” in schools across the city.
And then? Gisela Stuart, the MP for Birmingham Edgbaston, argues that schools should be judged not just on their examination results but also on whether they nurture an aptitude for the workplace. More schools should invite businesses into their classrooms, she says. A group of education officers from Wales has visited the pilot scheme. The innovation could yet spread—not unlike chicken balti, another Birmingham invention now popular across Britain.
Today science, maths and technology modules are accompanied by presentations about related careers. Unusually for a school, Small Heath has CBI membership, which gives it useful links to businesses. Aston Villa football club has commissioned the statistics class to redesign a network for young supporters. Birmingham Airport hosts food technology exercises; back at the school, pupils are taught how to prepare in-flight meals.The class in Birmingham is part of a scheme that aims to solve this problem. Staff at Small Heath School have experimented with a business-friendly curriculum since 2000, when Digby Jones,a former head of the CBI, accused the education system of failing employers. Richard Riley, a teacher at the school, wrote to him asking what should be done. He and his colleagues then set about injecting workplace practices into school life.
It seems to be working. The school has made good academic progress. And last year fully 223 of its 224 leavers went into employment, education or training. In one of the most deprived wards in a city where 43% of 16- to 18-year-olds are not known to be learning or working, that is impressive.
Small Heath’s success has caught the eye of local politicians and business owners. One, Rachel Maclean, established a not-for-profit organisation to convert its methods into a simple template that other schools can use. Around 50 local firms were consulted during the devising of the “Birmingham Baccalaureate”, and 12, including Mr Hussain’s, are involved in imparting the training. After June 2014, when the pilot ends, the organisers plan to introduce the “BBacc” in schools across the city.
And then? Gisela Stuart, the MP for Birmingham Edgbaston, argues that schools should be judged not just on their examination results but also on whether they nurture an aptitude for the workplace. More schools should invite businesses into their classrooms, she says. A group of education officers from Wales has visited the pilot scheme. The innovation could yet spread—not unlike chicken balti, another Birmingham invention now popular across Britain.
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