The latest FSB (Federation of Small Businesses) report —  ‘School Ties: Transforming Small Business Engagement with Schools’ — reveals that it would be relatively easy to get more firms involved with their local secondary schools which could reduce youth unemployment and boost pay for young people.

The research suggests that thousands more smaller businesses could help young people prepare for life after education and suggests that it needs to be made easier for them to become involved.

The report states: “Closer working between schools and small businesses lies at the heart of efforts to reduce youth unemployment, equip young people for the world of work and create stronger vocational routes into work.”

This latest FSB report also indicates that pupils who have encountered four or more employers while at school, on average, are up to 20% less likely on average to be NEET (not in education, employment or training).

Furthermore, it states that school leaver’s pay levels are proportional to the number of engagements they have had with businesses while at school; each employer contact is worth an extra 4.5% in their pay packet.