Year 10 pupils at Sandbach High School and Sixth Form College are participating in mock job interviews, practising firm handshakes and eye contact. These lessons are part of dedicated fortnightly career sessions designed to prepare 14- and 15-year-olds for the workforce.
The curriculum also includes learning how to write a CV and understanding workplace rights. Careers teacher Paisley Charlton stated the aim is to ensure students are ready for the working world, and since the school overhauled its careers education, none of its students have become Neet upon leaving at 18.
The focus on employability skills comes as nearly one million young people aged 16 to 24 in the UK are not in education, employment, or training (Neet). Prime Minister Andy Burnham has described this figure as both a "moral failure" and an "economic catastrophe."
This week, a major independent review led by former Labour health secretary Alan Milburn is expected to outline how the government should address the Neet issue and propose ways to get more young people into work. Schools are anticipated to be asked to do more to ensure pupils are "work-ready" when they leave, building on existing plans for vocational GCSEs from age 14 in England.