Despite record unemployment figures many UK employers are finding it difficult to recruit British workers – especially amongst the younger age groups.

According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development Britain’s failing schools are ‘forcing UK firms to choose foreign workers’ who are hard working, punctual and have a more positive attitude. aspect.co.uk – one of Britain’s fastest growing property maintenance companies – are expanding their successful London operation nationally and were expecting an avalanche of applications from British workers when it advertises regionally.

“It is becoming acceptable for the young in Britain to be unemployed and use the economic situation and the massive youth unemployment figures as an excuse,” said Will Davies, co-founder of aspect.co.uk “There are plenty of applications from workers over 30 but we want to see a mobilization of younger British workers to take on the challenge of getting out to work and delivering a service like ours,” he said. A report for the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, published this week, says that Britain has produced a lost generation who are weak in literacy, numeracy and communication skills.

The report’s author Gerwyn Davies said that many employers considered that the education system in Britain was simply not ‘fit for purpose’. “They (employers) argue that our education skills are too geared towards testing and written examinations,” he said. “They believe many school-leavers don’t possess communication skills.” ‘Youth unemployment is likely to increase further because there are more experienced people being made redundant who are perhaps more employable,’ said  Mr Davies. Chartered Institute of Personnel’s quarterly Labour Market Outlook report is constructed from surveying more than 1,000 British employers and is considered a reliable indicator of employment trends.

About 12 percent of employers reported that they would be hiring school-leavers in 2012 and less than a quarter said that they would be considering employing 17/18-year-olds. aspect.co.uk is one of London’s biggest home maintenance companies with a turnover in excess of £10 million. Their plans to expand into the regions will involve creating hundreds of new jobs. “There are opportunities available of young workers in many parts of the country and we would ask motivated youngsters, who have the get-up-and-go to leave the benefit culture behind them, check their local press,” said Mr Davies.