The Department of Education and Children is thanking the public for submitting views to its consultation on how well education prepares young people for the workplace. The consultation, launched in April, concentrated on how well education prepares students for the workplace 1) on leaving school at either 16 or 18 and 2) after higher education. It covered areas such as the content of the curriculum, whether more students should be offered vocational training and whether university funding should be more focused on courses that would address the Island’s skills shortages and benefit its economy. By the close of the consultation on Friday, more than 40 contributions had been received and Eddie Teare, Minister for Education and Children, said he was grateful that so many individuals and organisations had taken the time to send in views. ‘These will now be studied closely and we will take them into account when shaping future policy,’ Minister Teare said. When he launched the consultation, the Minister said: ‘In this highly competitive environment, we have to recognise that if the Island is to prosper, our young people must be equipped with the skills to enable them to fully participate in the workplace. ‘Our economy has changed and the education system should also adapt. There are various opinions as to what the education system should deliver and we are seeking the views of the public. The results of this consultation will not determine my policy in the very short-term, but will help my successor to plan the way forward after September’s General Election.’ Ends