EMPLOYABILITY
functions of a job role) and people and
personal skills (softer skills required to manage
oneself and interact with others).
While the exact skills shortages individual
businesses face will vary by sector and region,
the opportunity to influence what schools
teach and the options students choose will
appeal to most businesses keen to address
these challenges.
Employers will also be keen to reflect back
to schools the areas they would like them to
give greater emphasis and help them to build
these into the curriculum. In a recent ISE survey,
we asked employers what skills their school-
leaver recruits lacked (see chart, right).
Business-appropriate communication and
commercial awareness topped the list,
followed by dealing with conflict, leadership
and managing up.
As well as future-proofing pipelines,
employers are also keen to recruit high-quality
people directly into their businesses today.
About 10% of young people start work or an
apprenticeship at the age of 16 and some 30%
start at 18.
ISE employers are t ypically larger
companies interested in recruiting young
people. We found that 68% of our members
are now recruiting to a school-leaver
programme or into apprenticeships. They are
therefore likely to be keen to work with local
schools to ensure the transition into
employment is as smooth as possible.
Corporate social responsibility
Today, most firms have a ‘corporate social
responsibility’ agenda which sets out how
their business behaves in the world and
allocates time and resources to ‘good causes’
— which include helping to develop young
people and aiding social mobility.
The idea of ‘growing a responsible
Employers who say school leavers lack these skills
Business-appropriate communication
Commercial awareness
Dealing with conflict
Leadership
Managing up
Presentation skills
Negotiation/influencing skills
Career management
Self-awareness
Resilience
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Source: ISE research
The idea of
‘growing a
responsible
brand’ goes
beyond altruism
Employers work with schools in order to:
• A ddress future skills shortages and ensure the education system equips students with
the skills they need in the long term
• S ource new talent directly, finding people that they need for early careers and building
brand’ goes beyond altruism. It is not just about
why an employer might want to do good, but
also how they want their organisation and
brand to be viewed – and schools can leverage
this. Teachers, students and their parents are
potential customers of organisations that
provide goods or services, so it is important
to ensure they are perceived in a positive light.
Developing employees
Of course, enabling their employees to
volunteer with schools not only allows
businesses to give back to the community
but helps to build their people’s confidence,
communication and leadership skills.
Opportunities to do good and to follow
their interests can be intensely rewarding for
individuals, enhancing employee engagement
and job satisfaction. It is certainly worth
careers leaders considering employer
encounters from the employee perspective
and designing them with care, preparing
their students and environments for
external visitors.
Individual businesses have their own
reasons for working with educators — some
of which may differ to those of schools.
However, if careers leaders are willing to invest
time in trying to understand the employer
perspective, they can improve both the
frequency and quality of the employer
encounters they offer their students.
brand visibility among young people
• G row (and demonstrate) a responsible corporate brand
• D evelop their own staff, by providing their people with learning and development
opportunities through volunteering in schools
ABOUT ISE
The Institute of Student
Employers (ISE) is a not-for-
profit member organisation
and the UK’s leading voice for
student employers. ise.org.uk
FUTURE TALENTED // 23