Students' skills gap 'not a shock' says college head

Research showing two thirds of Level 2 students at Guernsey's College of Further Education have a skills gap in numeracy and literary "wasn't a shock", according to the college's principal.

Trevor Wakefield said the college was working to improve students' abilities.

The report investigating the skills of Guernsey's working age population was carried out by the island's Skills Strategy Development Group.

After surveying employers and students, it noted a basic skills gap.

The report, entitled Towards a Skills Strategy For Guernsey, found that some employers felt school leavers had a poor attitude to work and a lack of enterprise.

Ken Gibbs, chairman of the Skills Strategy Development Group, said: "Steps have already been taken to address those shortfalls."

He said the Guernsey Adult Literacy Project was an example of a successful strategy for combating such problems.

He added that concerns over students being ill-prepared for the world of work were also being addressed through work experience and shadowing programmes.

Trevor Wakefield said that all students at the College of Further Education had their numeracy and literacy assessed, and were placed on courses accordingly.

He added that any students who did not possess such skills would be given help to get them up to GCSE C-grade standard.

A consultation on the report is now taking place and responses will be accepted until 14 October 2011.