Accenture’s Learning To Lead Report finds disconnect in education to employment journey

A new report from Accenture in Ireland has found that education and businesses are at odds over how prepared students are for the working world. Accenture’s Learning to Lead report found that while almost two-thirds of teachers think students are equipped (66 percent), 42 percent of employers think the opposite. Moreover, only 23 percent of employers think the education sector is keeping pace with industry needs. According to the report, the speed and direction of travel in education is an issue for around half of companies. Inside schools, sentiments are similar with students and teachers painting a picture of a second level education system struggling to keep up with the needs of the working world and future societal expectations.

Accenture’s Learning to Lead research into the attitudes of over 600 teachers, parents, young adults and employers highlights Ireland’s challenges when it comes to the jobs of the future. The report explores how well prepared we are for the changing world of work, as well as the hurdles businesses in Ireland are confronted with today that must be addressed if they are to access a talent pool that can help them innovate and grow.

Alastair Blair, Country Managing Director at Accenture in Ireland, said: “Our work at Accenture is all about responding to clients who are, in turn, responding to the needs of their customers. It doesn’t matter if they are in government, financial services, health or retail, they are all under enormous pressure to stay relevant and meet the demands of increasingly savvy customers. If we want Ireland to continue to provide a talent pool for the innovative companies based here, as well as improve the prospects of home-grown businesses, we must think hard about what they will need.

“We have a good education system in Ireland but, according to our report, there are challenges earlier in the education journey – particularly at second level – where the focus is more on aptitude than attitude.  This is more than just a research announcement – it’s a call to action for a stronger approach to how government, business and education can work together to shape a society in Ireland fit for the opportunities of tomorrow.”

The Learning to Lead report reinforces the Government’s National Skills Strategy 2025 report, which itself points to the need for better alignment between education sectors; for greater collaboration and an understanding of progression pathways; and involving employers in “the development and provision of learning to ensure its relevance to the needs of the workplace”. Continuous educator-employer dialogue would provide Ireland with a unique early warning system and Accenture’s report shows that it can ensure that the country stays ahead of the curve with a future-proof talent pipeline. The outcome would be an Ireland that ‘stands out from the developed world economies with its future skills capabilities’.

Appreciation of Soft Skills

The National Skills Strategy 2025 report identifies technology and improved digital skills as a basic core competence, but it also recognises how transversal skills will “underpin Ireland’s use of its talent offering as a global differentiator”. It is a view validated in Accenture’s report which points to challenges in predicting specific roles that will be relevant in the next 10-20 years. There is a strong consensus that the best defence for this, in terms of how we prepare students for an unknown future workplace, is to develop their transversal skills, empowering them with a range of talents that can be transposed to many different roles.

When asked what skills would be most needed for the workforce of the future, employers identified transversal soft skills – communication (43 percent), strong work ethic (40 percent), teamwork (35 percent) and an ability to problem solve (28 percent) – but not as enthusiastically as teachers, parents and 16-25 year olds.