Young workers want to be going into the office but they report there is ‘virtually nobody there’, the Education Secretary said.
The Education Secretary is worried that some young people may be missing out on learning opportunities following the rise of working from home.
Gillian Keegan said young people starting out in their careers want to be going into the office for work but they report that there is “virtually nobody there” following the pandemic.
Speaking at a Bright Blue think tank event on Monday, Ms Keegan stated that staff learn a lot from their colleagues and from “seeing meetings, seeing how things are done”.
When asked if she was concerned about young people not engaging with and learning from their seniors because they work from home, Ms Keegan responded, “I am concerned about that. Although I think it is shifting a little bit back to an equilibrium.
I’m concerned about this since I know a number of young folks who are just getting started in the workforce and say the same thing. You can walk into a workplace like this and find almost no one present.
Ms Keegan added: “I think you do learn a lot from other people. And I think one of the things that a lot of people say as well in terms of productivity, creativity, that sort of group dynamic you do kind of get to the answer, you get to solving problems quite often better with a group.
“Particularly if you’ve got a good diverse group coming from different angles, different experience, it really does make it better I think for those people starting in their career.
“And lots of people, if you speak to those young people, they’ll say, ‘you know, that’s what I want. I want to be going to the office. I want the sort of going out after work stuff as well’.
“So it’s a big part of the journey and again it’s a big part of starting work. I think we have to get the balance right though.”
At the event in London, the Education Secretary also stated that the Government was being “very cautious” about plans for digital GCSE exams due to potential hazards.
Several of the UK’s major test boards have taken moves toward digital credentials, which are subject to regulatory approval by Ofqual.
When questioned by the PA news agency if the government supported the plans for digital GCSEs and if it was concerned about any risks they might bring, such as technical challenges or cheating, Ms Keegan replied, “I think being very cautious is actually the sort of short answer.”
She also stated that the government will seek to ensure that digital tests do not “lower the quality” of assessment.
Pearson, which controls the testing board Edexcel, revealed earlier this month that students will be able to be assessed digitally in their GCSE English exams beginning in the summer of 2025.
Last month, the exam authority OCR stated that it would provide a digitally graded GCSE in computer science to students beginning their studies in 2025.
Another exam board, AQA, plans to gradually introduce on-screen exams, with the goal of having at least one major topic available digitally by 2030.
An Ofqual representative said: “Ofqual is committed to supporting well-evidenced innovation in how examinations are taken. However, it is important that examinations are both accessible and fair to all students taking them.
“We will thoroughly review any ideas for on-screen exams that are submitted for review.
“Our priority will be making sure any approach is fair to all students, whether they take their exam on-screen or continue to do so on paper.”
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