YOUNG people are not ready for work after leaving education, a report has warned.

A British Chambers of Commerce Workforce survey of nearly 3,000 firms said North-East companies believe a lack of work experience is holding youngsters back, with many short of language and leadership skills.

The organisation, helped by the North East Chamber of Commerce (NECC) on its findings, has issued a number of recommendations to address the situation.

It said a business governor should be on secondary school boards to increase company engagement, university students should be allowed to choose business modules on degree programmes, and apprenticeship grants should be increased to £1,500.

Ross Smith, NECC director of policy, said: “Links between education and business are essential to ensure we are producing young people who are ready to fill roles within the North-East labour market and are comfortable in the working environment.

“Likewise, we must take the fear out of employing, training or simply giving experience to young people.

“Businesses see this as costly, time-consuming and restrictive, and this must be addressed.

“A great deal of progress has been made, but we must continue to work hard if we are to make significant in-roads into addressing regional youth unemployment and potential skills shortages in key sectors in our region.”