Mid-market businesses should have more say on curriculum, as thousands await A-level and BTEC result
Mid-market businesses should have more say on curriculum, as thousands await A-level and BTEC result
- Nearly a quarter of young people (24%) have called for businesses to be given greater opportunity to influence the curriculum
- More than a fifth of those surveyed (23%) believe greater financial incentives will encourage more businesses to take on work experience students, graduates and apprentices.
Mid-market business leaders should be given more say on the shape of the national curriculum to ensure school leavers have the rights skills for the workplace, a BDO report has found.
As thousands of students await their A-Level and BTEC results, nearly a quarter of young people (24%) have called for businesses to be given greater opportunity to influence the curriculum, so that they have more desirable and relevant skillsets when leaving school or college.
According to the Young Minds 2026 report, a survey of 2,000 young people aged 18–25 carried out by accountancy and business advisory firm BDO, more than a fifth of those surveyed (23%) believe greater financial incentives will encourage more businesses to take on work experience students and hire graduates and apprentices. These initiatives could open up wider opportunities in the workplace and help more young people to access high-quality jobs after leaving school or college.
The findings come as the government announced education reforms last month, setting out plans for secondary school pupils in England to be able to study subjects like manufacturing and AI, in addition to core academic learning.
Louise Sayers, Head of People, Culture & Purpose at BDO LLP, commented: "Having the right skillset and opportunity to enter the workplace is an urgent priority – not just for the government, but for young people leaving school or college, as well as business leaders looking to recruit.
"The Prime Minister has said he is "on a mission" to reduce the number of young people not in education, employment or training. However, providing a clear and accessible pathway to a high-quality jobs market cannot be done in isolation. The government and businesses need to work together to address the shortage of jobs and address specific skills issues that are key to the future success of the UK economy."
Last month, BDO published its bi-monthly Mid-Market Tracker, a survey of 500 businesses with revenues between £10m and £500m. It showed that mid-market businesses could provide vital employment opportunities for young people, with four in five companies (83%) planning to hire entry level roles within the next six months.
Despite comprising less than 1% of private sector businesses, the UK mid-market accounts for more than one in three private sector jobs, employing more than 11.1 million people, according to BDO.
The number of people 'Not in Education, Employment or Training' (NEETs) in the UK now tops 1 million. With the mid-market growing revenues by 3.1% over the last year and outperforming the FTSE, it is well placed to provide job opportunities.
Louise said: "Mid-market businesses have a huge part to play in opening the door for young people looking to enter the workplace. As thousands of students get their A-level and BTEC results [this week] and contemplate their next move, it's vital that we create the right environment that helps them transition from education into work. They are the future workforce. We need to collectively support them to thrive and grow."
Earlier this month, BDO announced that it is on track to support more than 8,200 young people across the UK through its work experience and career insights programmes. The firm has expanded its early engagement work with in-person events, social mobility programmes and virtual work experience.
ENDS
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BDO LLP operates in 19 offices across the UK and Ireland, employing 8,500 people. It has revenues of £1.1bn.
It provides Audit, Tax, Deals, and Consulting, Risk & Outsourcing (CR&O) services predominantly to the entrepreneurial, ambitious and growing mid-sized businesses that are driving growth in the UK and Ireland economies.
BDO LLP is the UK and Ireland member firm of the BDO Global network.
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The BDO international network provides business advisory services in 169 countries and territories, with 95,000 people working out of 870 offices worldwide. It has revenues of US$11bn.
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