Workers should get to grips with the 3Rs at school

Mar 29 2005 By Helen Logan, Evening Gazette

It seems churlish to look down on the huge campaign that has been launched to boost training offered to workers.

This is part of a huge Government drive to tackle the chronic lack of basic skills among millions of adults.

Repeatedly I have heard bosses complain this is a problem with a significant proportion of new recruits to their business.

They claim many youngsters are leaving schools and colleges without the ability to read, write and add up.

In fact, at a business dinner on Teesside in 2003, Confederation of British Industry director general Sir Digby Jones said workers lacking basic literacy skills was a an obstacle which needed to be urgently tackled.

He pointed out such people were far from "thick" as they often managed to find ways of keeping the shortcoming hidden.

He said the average illiterate person was white, male and 35 years old and that they were not equipped for the world of work in a global economy.

He argued if they were taught how to read and write it would make them more productive.

Training in the workplace is important to make sure employees are prepared for new demands in their jobs and changing requirements of the marketplace.

But should the focus of attention not be on schools and colleges as well?

Surely when it comes to things as fundamental as the ability to read and write and do basic arithmetic, it would be more efficient to make sure people left school armed with these capabilities.

For whatever scheme is put in place, people needing to take time out of work to get to grips with skills as basic as those, which they should have been taught at school, are going to eat into the production and productivity of companies.