Employers 'forced' to teach literacy

Almost half the country's employers are having to put on remedial lessons for school leavers because they lack basic skills, a survey has found.

The survey of 566 employers by the Confederation of British Industry shows 44 per cent were having to teach school and college leavers the three Rs. In addition,42 per cent were not satisfied with their employees' mastery of English while 35 per cent felt employees lacked numeracy skills.