Prime Minister says ‘still got to get basics absolutely right’ on English and maths

Prime Minister David Cameron said skills was a the major focus of his economic plan during a speech to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) policy conference today.

He told delegates the economy was recovering, and that the government’s long term economic plan included policies on reducing the deficit, cutting income tax and freezing fuel duty and capping welfare and immigration.

“We are working to a clear long term economic plan, which I believe is right for this country,” he said.

“The fourth part is about the future. We need to make sure in our country we’ve got the best possible arrangement of schools and skills so that young people are trained and able to take the jobs that a modern economy will deliver.

“I’m really concerned that as our economy recovers, I want it to be a recovery for everyone, I want everyone to be able to contribute. I want to give young people a real chance.”

The Prime Minister also highlighted the importance of maths and English to vocational training and ensuring young people find employment.

“I always say to my children, and to other people’s children that vocational education is a wonderful thing, but the most important vocational skill is English and maths and we’ve still got to get those basics absolutely right,” he said.

Skills Minister Matthew Hancock later pointed to traineeships as a potential solution to the lack of employability, maths and English skills shown by young people entering the workplace, and urged the audience of around 300 FSB members to take on trainees.

Mike Cherry, FSB national policy chairman, said: “As the Prime Minister agreed, English and maths remains an issue for small firms and getting this right is a priority for our members.

“Small businesses still don’t feel young people can transfer what is learnt in the classroom to the workplace and they need the confidence to employ young people.”

He added: “We are delighted the Prime Minister could address our conference today and highlight the recognition placed on the long-term economic security small firms provide.

“It is an historic moment for the FSB and the UK’s millions of small businesses.”

Pic: Rebecca Cooney

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  1. Mike Cooper

    A ‘hidden hazard’ in all this (ever-recurring?) attention to raising skill levels in English and Maths lies in the unacknowledged weaknesses amongst significant numbers of FE staff in those very same skills.

    If you need some confirmation of that (and most of us wouldn’t, I imagine) then just note as a coincidental and indirect aside all the headlines a day or so ago about schools being hampered in appointing heads because the applications betray major shortcomings in these same basic skills. More direct FE-based evidence is all around.

    This is an awkward and problematic issue — but it really needs to be addressed, rather than ignored, denied or side-stepped. After all: we can train more staff to deliver more GCSE courses, by all means. That will help the nation’s skills — but only up to a point (and setting aside concerns about the effectiveness of those qualifications, and the wider worries about quals being dodgy proxies for actual skills).

    And alas it will do little to stem the recent tide of sharp comments (and lowered grades?) from Ofsted, around this matter. These staff gaps are being exposed far more often, and to much greater consequence, now…

    The fact is that a significant chunk of these skills will emerge (or be stifled) BEFORE and AROUND GCSE level, and thus amongst the vast majority of FE provision that isn’t GCSE English and Maths. ‘Embedding across the curriculum’ is a key response — but that too depends hugely on the confidence, skills and mind-sets of non-E&M-specialist staff involved.

    So, is the answer to that just about ‘naming and shaming’ those staff and sending them scurrying off to do GCSEs or skills workshops, or similar, themselves. No; or at least not by any means ‘just about that’. It would be long-term, and potentially even a bit counter-productive.

    Instead, we need to de-toxify the issue for staff with genuine vulnerabilities in these skills areas, no matter how excellent they may be otherwise. Unless they are much more comfortable with their using own abilities and shortcomings in positive and professional ways to help learners with improving E&M skills, then I fear that we’re largely building on sand. Yet again.