"Everyone spends at least 11 years at school. That's a long time. So surely it's not unreasonable to expect young people emerging from the system to be ready to make a positive contribution to the working world? I'm not talking about examination results. They are just one indicator of someone's capacity to be a great employee, or even an employer. I'm talking about the skills that actually matter in the workplace. Shouldn't pupils in our schools be given the chance to develop skills in communicating with confidence, solving problems, working in teams, being polite, using technology and organising themselves. And once they have developed the skills fully shouldn't some recognition be available? Employers certainly think so. And so do I." says Phil Crompton, Executive Head of the Trent Academies group.