The South Coast region’s high youth unemployment rate isn’t being helped by the fact that many young people aren’t “job ready” when they finish school.
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That’s why employers such as NowChem managing director John Lamont told the Mercury they want a seat at the table when the new school curriculum is being drafted.
The NSW government will implement findings from businessman David Gonski’s latest school education report in the first review of the state’s school curriculum in 29 years.
Mr Lamont said he was a big supporter of education and the review, but hoped common sense prevailed and the review ensured students were provided with the basics they needed to succeed in the workplace.
“I'd like to see the curriculum allow for more vocational education in years 10, 11 and 12,” he said.
Mr Lamont said the Nowra chemical manufacturing company “deliberately tried to employ a lot of youth and young people” but finds a lot of them just aren’t job ready.
“In year 11 and 12 there needs to be available to them a bigger focus on TAFE-style courses or workskills,” he said.
Too many kids are leaving school unprepared with the workforce, and on the other hand we have the construction, hospitality, aged care and disability sectors crying out for competent staff.
- Adam Zarth
“We’ve got a lot of kids who are now getting ATARS but they are not coming out with more employment skills.
“I think it will help employers like myself if we had kids doing Cert 2's and Cert 3’s while they were doing their school.”
The Illawarra Business Chamber also welcomes the NSW government’s review of the school curriculum as an opportunity to “re-orient the public education system toward better preparing students for employment”.
IBC executive director Adam Zarth said that input from employers should be a key focus in shaping a school curriculum for the future to ensure a greater focus on job readiness.
“With growing skills shortages being reported by businesses across the Illawarra, it has become clear that the current curriculum needs to be enhanced to prepare young people for productive and rewarding careers,” he said.
“Too many kids are leaving school unprepared with the workforce, and on the other hand we have the construction, hospitality, aged care and disability sectors crying out for competent staff.
“The NSW Government’s commitment to the renewal of the school curriculum provides an opportunity to ensure we equip students with the core skills to allow them to have a productive and rewarding career.”
Mr Zarth said the education system needed to improve support for those who don’t plan to go to university and make a greater investment in school based apprenticeships.