Warning that new exam grades could confuse employers

Bosses say some GCSE pupils may be overlooked

Pupils leaving school with newstyle GCSE grades may have their CVS overlooked because employers are confused by the system, business leaders have warned.

Today, 16-year-olds collecting their results will be awarded grades of 1 to 9 for their maths and English exams under education reforms designed to combat grade inflation.

Yet bosses in Kent have warned some firms will favour applicants with the old style A* to G marks because they understand them.

Janine Blower, HR manager at Ashford’s Facts International, said: “They may only come across that new grading system when they start seeing those CVS dropping in on their desk.

“Unfortunately that may lead to a small number of employers favouring candidates with the old-style GCSE letter grades.”

Her comments come after Seamus Nevin, head of employment and skills policy of the Institute of Directors, told the Times Education Supplement that many companies would view the new grades as “gibberish”.

Sixth form centres like MidKent College have been circulating infographics on social media to explain to bosses what the new grading system means.

However, many entrepreneurs remain perplexed.

Louis Hurst, chief executive of Whitstable’s Amelix Group, said: “The constant changes mean that we no longer have any respect for qualifications.

“How can we compare four candidates with four different types of qualification? All it means is that we now spend more time interviewing people as well as testing them ourselves.”

Mrs Blower said market research firm Facts, which is looking for five apprentices, has not received any advice about the changes from the government.

She said: “We should have received some promotional material. The government have said they’ve spent some money doing that but it’s definitely not been enough.

“Young people are going to have to do a little bit of extra work to make their CVS stand out.

“I’m hoping it won’t stop employers getting people in and having conversations with them.

“Their recruitment may be a bit elongated while they try to figure out what that grade 4 or 5 means.

“There’s going to be an element of confusion and a small pocket of employers that push them to one side and favour ones with the old grading ABC system instead.”