YOUNG people across Yorkshire are leaving school without the basic skills they need for work and life, according to a recent survey of employers.

The Futures at Stake 2020 report reveals that more than half of employers in Yorkshire say they struggle to recruit people with the skills their organisation needs - 54 per cent. Over a third of employers in Yorkshire believe that traditional or outdated recruitment practices are perpetuating skills shortages while almost half agree that traditional recruitment practices are no longer working and that they need to be more innovative.

Young people in Yorkshire are also struggling to move into the workforce after school. Over half of local 16 to 30 year olds say they left school with academic achievements but very few soft skills that were relevant for work, whilst seven out of ten local young people say that employers rarely give them helpful feedback when they’ve been unsuccessful in applying for a role.

Clare Crabb, Director of the North of England for The Prince’s Trust said: “It is deeply concerning that so many young people seem to be leaving school in Yorkshire without the skills they need for work.”