The CBI has criticised school literacy and numeracy provision, as a survey of their members showed that almost half of all employers have paid for remedial maths and English tuition for school and college leavers.

The survey of 500 companies showed that 42% were unhappy with school leavers’ knowledge of the English language, with a third dissatisfied with their numeracy skills. Good literacy and numeracy skills are regarded by employers as the most useful vocational skills for school leavers, but less than half of teenagers gain A*-C grade GCSE’s in these subjects by the age of 16.

John Cridland, the CBI director-general, said: “It’s alarming that a significant number of employers have concerns about the basic skills of school and college leavers. Companies do not expect them to produce job-ready young people, but having a solid foundation in basic skills, such as literacy and numeracy, is fundamental for work.”