Punctuality top priority for jobseekers

Schools should teach children to be honest and on time. These qualities, alongside skills such as reliability and teamwork, would help their chances of getting a job, according to a Young Enterprise survey published yesterday.

The poll questioned 2,000 people on what they believed schools should teach pupils about business and the working world.

The findings show 65 per cent of respondents believe that schools should promote skills employers are looking for, such as teamwork, presentation, reliability, honesty, integrity and punctuality.

It was the most popular answer, followed by concentrating on core subjects such as English and maths (chosen by 52 per cent) and making it easier for poorer children to gain work experience (50 per cent).