Businesses think majority of graduates lack basic literacy
Some 58 per cent of business leaders in London think graduates who apply for jobs lack basic literacy skills.
In what could be seen as a damning indictment of the education system, bosses stressed to the future Major of London the importance of closing the skills gap in the capital, the London Evening Standard reports.
Scott Payton, editor of LondonLoveBusiness.com, which conducted the research, said that many business leaders felt they could cherry-pick the best graduates because many of the nation's university leavers flock to the city. However, bosses revealed it could be easier for them to look for skills from abroad.
"We are talking about people who have spent three or four years at university who can't add up or construct a sentence," he added.
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London's office added that Boris Johnson is "acutely aware" that basic educational skills are essential, "not only to a peaceful society but to a prosperous and thriving economy".
It follows the presentation of findings from a year-long independent study by the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education, which recommended that improving adult literacy levels in the UK must be seen as a "moral imperative".
