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PLEBs and skills

www.worldskillslondon2011.com

28 February 2011

A MILLION BRITS LACK BASIC LIFE SKILLS
‘Have a Go’ launches to prevent a new era of “PLEBS”
Britain today is a nation of ‘plebs’, but not as the Romans would
have recognised. Today's ‘PLEBS’ are 'People Lacking Everyday
Basic Skills' and nearly a million* adults across the UK are affected, according to new research from WorldSkills London 2011.
When asked about a range of simple everyday skills, one in five admitted they would be unable to complete even a third of the tasks, while one in 20 said they could perform just one of the 15 skills presented to them.
Six in ten people are unable to apply basic first aid to treat a sprained ankle, while half admit they cannot carry out everyday tasks such as changing a car wheel (57 per cent), hanging wallpaper (51 per cent) or putting up a shelf (50 per cent). And a third do not know how to wire a plug (35 per cent).
To address these skills deficiencies, WorldSkills London 2011 is launching ‘Have a Go’, which will offer a million opportunities for people to improve their skills by learning from experts.
Executive Director of WorldSkills London 2011 Aidan Jones hopes that people across the UK will take advantage of the chance to learn something new that could prove to be a vital life-skill:
“Our findings clearly demonstrate that there are some people in the UK who would struggle to complete some very basic everyday tasks. Things like this can catch people out: something as simple as not being able to turn off the main water supply in your home, which more than one in three people admit they couldn’t do, could land someone in real trouble if there was a plumbing emergency.
“While London will host the WorldSkills London 2011 Competition
in the autumn, showcasing how skills shape our world and some
of the best of the world’s skills talent, we’re also using this as an

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opportunity to inspire the whole of the UK about their future
career possibilities. Between now and October, we’re urging
everyone to get involved in the ‘WorldSkills London 2011
Have a Go’ movement and try a new skill – it could
prove invaluable.”
Skills Minister, John Hayes, adds: “Practical skills are as important as academic qualifications. Britain’s success will depend on our ability to create a new generation of world class craftsmen, designers and technicians.
“The Government’s skills strategy, with more funding for apprenticeships and higher standards for training providers, will help individuals and companies gain the skills they need to succeed.”
The findings also reveal that despite us living in an age of equal opportunities, skills gender stereotypes are still alive and well. Less than three in 10 (28 per cent) men say they would be able to hem their own trousers and just a sixth (17 per cent) of women can change a flat tyre.
And it is the younger generation who are the least skills-savvy, with nearly one in 10 (9 per cent) 18 – 35 year olds admitting they would not be able to complete any of the skills listed. While large numbers of the 18 – 24 cohort are happy carrying out technical tasks such as joining a wifi network (72 per cent) or installing a printer on a computer (77 per cent), they are far less able when it comes to hands-on practical skills such as poaching an egg (55 per cent) or wiring a plug (33 per cent).
Aidan Jones continues: “There is a very serious underlying message here that young people are leaving school without very basic practical knowledge they need to get on. Things that used to be included in the curriculum are no longer taught in the classroom, nor would it seem are they being passed on by the older generation. WorldSkills London 2011 Have a Go presents a golden opportunity for skills deficient young people and adults to try their hand at something they perhaps don’t even realise they can’t do. I urge everyone across the UK to get involved and Have a Go.”