Despite equating for 99% of businesses in the UK, too often, the voices of small businesses are lost in the big conversations about education and skills, risking oversights in the development and delivery of national policy, and compromising their impact and effectiveness in local communities.
So, this year, building on the findings in our latest Skills Shortage Bulletin and to celebrate Small Business Saturday 2023, Edge teamed up with two MPs who are absolutely passionate about education, skills and growing their local economies: the Rt. Hon. Robert Halfon MP - the Conservative MP for Harlow and the villages, and Minister for Skills, Further and Higher Education - and Seema Malhotra MP - the Labour MP for Feltham and Heston and Shadow Skills Minister. We hosted breakfast roundtables for small businesses in Harlow and Feltham to seek to understand their businesses' skills needs and any barriers to finding and retaining local talent.
We were thrilled to be joined by small businesses (and a few local charities) across a wide range of sectors: care homes, an IT company, a ballet school, a bakery, suppliers for the hair and beauty industry, a printing company, a cafe-come-cocktail bar, pet groomers, property developers, even an artisan vodka and gin supplier.
All of the attendees across both roundtables wanted schools and colleges to give young people the best possible preparation for the world of work, but were clear on their role to play in that, too. These businesses were enormously interested in the future of our young people and shared a real willingness to be a part of the support system to help succeed.
In Harlow, the businesses were very positive about qualifications which embedded on-the-job training, such as apprenticeships, and were excited by the idea of offering a 45-day industry placement through T Levels, as long as that could be delivered flexibly. They welcomed the Government’s ambition and steps to ensure more schools achieve Gatsby Benchmark 6 (every pupil to have had at least one experience of a workplace by the age of 16, and one further experience by the age of 18). Some had already offered work placements and made a conscious effort to make that a worthwhile, useful experience.
Similarly, in Feltham, these small businesses strongly welcomed Labour’s pledges to re-introduce two weeks’ compulsory work experience in secondary schools and to train over a thousand new careers advisors.
Though, across both roundtables, the attendees were open and honest about the challenges that come with providing these opportunities as a small business, such as the administrative bureaucracy, supervision and safeguarding checks, and the risk, in some cases, that the young person simply isn’t interested in being there. In Feltham, employers noted that offering work experience in some of their workplaces, like laboratories or sites operating heavy machinery, can be difficult with age constraints. The employers also felt there could be more support in schools pre-placement to get young people ready for the workplace.
Overwhelmingly, these small businesses wanted the education system to better prepare young people for working life in the industries in their community. For many, it wasn’t just about the technical skills – a good grounding in school or college was important, but these employers were willing to support and invest in their workforce’s training and development. It was the essential, transferrable skills the confidence, communication, teamwork skills, and the discipline to show up on time and stick at something – that mattered most.
In Harlow, there was a lot of support from these small businesses (and parents around the table) for a blended academic, vocationaland technical post-16 pathway through the Advanced British Standard, with some feeling that young people are made to narrow down their subjects too soon, and that the balance is currently tipped too far towards supporting only those young people wanting to pursue ‘academic’ routes. One small business leader and parent commented there needs to be much more focus on producing “well-rounded” young people.
Recruiting young people into small businesses is a demanding challenge, be that competing with the attractive, hourly salaries of large supermarkets, the fast-growing appeal of newer careers – like social media influencing – and, in the IT sector, AI replacing previously highly-paid jobs. They felt there was a big challenge to be resolved to get young people to see the longer-term benefits of a career path with the opportunity to train, gain industry qualifications and progress up the ladder quickly in a small company. And, at the same time, there was a real sense of worry amongst the employers about “inertia” and the need to inspire the next generation, to give them some hope, aspiration and confidence about what they could go on to do.
When it comes to engaging with schools and colleges, communication is key. In Feltham, we began our morning with a tour of the West Thames College Skills and Logistics Centre, which allowed these small businesses to really understand their local college’s offer. Many commented on how helpful they found this exposure to a college campus, and to build links the College principal, Tracy Aust.
The small businesses in Harlow recognised the vital role of Harlow College in their community, and many had worked with them to find new talent or to host work placements. At both roundtables, however, the employers felt communication with schools and colleges with small businesses, could be improved – faster, more responsive, with proactive outreach.
We are hugely grateful to our MP hosts and to these small business employees for giving up their time to talk about education and skills, and for all they to do serve their communities. We hope that the findings from these workshops demonstrate the significant insight and practical solutions small businesses can offer the education policymaking process, and encourage greater collaboration between policy, research and practice. If you would be interested in hosting a small business roundtable in your area, please do get in touch with the Edge policy team: sgluck@edge.co.uk.
