Thousands of teenagers will be able to transfer to a new wave of “studio schools” at the age of 14 to improve their chances of finding a job in UK. A dozen new-style schools are designed to act as a bridge to the workplace and cut the number of NEETs--young people not in education, employment or training.
Under plans, schools will operate longer days and work outside standard academic terms.
Each pupil will be expected to spend between four hours and two days a week on work placements with businesses linked to the school and teenagers will be assigned a personal coach to act as an academic “line manager”.
The reforms are put forward due to the fears that too many teenagers are now finishing full-time education lacking the skills needed to succeed in the workplace. According to a recent report, more than two-thirds of employers believe school and college leavers lack important “employability skills” such as customer awareness, while 55 per cent say they are unable to manage their time or daily tasks. And the number of NEETs has hit a record high, with almost one-in-five young people being left without a job or training place.
The Department for Education will announce the establishment of 12 studio schools -- meeting the need of around 3,600 teenagers -- in areas such as Liverpool, Stevenage, Stoke-on-Trent and Fulham, west London. Each one, opening in 2012, will be linked to a series of local employers. Under plans, pupils will be able to transfer out of ordinary schools to attend them between the age of 14 and 19.
The Government said all subjects would be taught “through projects, often designed with employers” -- with disciplines such as science being linked directly to local engineering firms or hospitals. Schools will operate a longer day to give pupils a better understanding of the demands of the workplace. Along with their studies, pupils will carry out work placements for four hours a week, rising to two days a week of paid work for those aged 16 to 19. They will also get the chance to take professional qualifications linked directly to the needs of local employers.
According to the passage, the NEETs are referred to those who ________.
A.often miss classes from school |
B.refuse to take any kind of part-time jobs after school |
C.depend on their parents to find jobs after they graduate |
D.have no jobs without accepting education and work training |
Compared to ordinary schools, studio schools will offer the young more ________.
A.interesting and lovely cartoons to make study easier |
B.chances to get future jobs with expert job training |
C.possibilities to make friends without going outside |
D.lessons helping them to be admitted to universities |
What makes the government decide to found studio schools?
A.The determination to solve the problem of lacking workers. |
B.The doubt about whether full-time education is perfect. |
C.The worry about educated people lacking working skills. |
D.The increasing number of teens who drop out early. |
What may most probably attract senior high school students at studio school?
A.They can find suitable jobs earlier with good qualification. |
B.They will be admitted to top companies with received training. |
C.They needn’t go to university thanks to received training here. |
D.They may have more free time to find part-time jobs after school. |