Black Country teenagers struggling to read and add up amid Walsall school closure
Teenagers in the Black Country are struggling to read and add up, business chiefs have warned following the announcement that a specialist school that opened less than four years ago is to close.
The £9.5 million Black Country University Technical College in Bloxwich is to shut in August, with the blame being put on finances, staffing, student numbers and a poor inspection.
Today the closure was slammed by bosses from the Black Country Chamber of Commerce, who say there must be something 'seriously amiss' if students are not applying for places at the school at a time when employers in the area are 'crying out' for young people with technical skills.
Black Country Chamber of Commerce president Ninder Johal said: "We were hoping that the UTC would overcome the literacy and numeracy issues that face young people as they leave school. Our employers remain disappointed that our 16-year-olds are unable to read or add up.
"Education is a serious issue and the chamber will be taking a lead to identify solutions to this problem."
The college caters for 14 to 19-year-olds and specialises in engineering.
Martin Dudley, chairman of the Black Country Chamber of Commerce skills policy group, added: "This is a sad day for business education engagement in the area.
"We welcomed the UTC to Walsall as a source of supply for the manufacturing sector. Engineering skills are in short supply so this news is a bitter blow for students, parents and employers."
