Business Matters

Britain's education system stands accused of failing to prepare young people for careers by Neil Clifford, Chief Executive of Kurt Geiger. He tells Will Bain in this episode of BBI that the current education system is "not really fit for purpose" in preparing people for life after education. His own school journey saw him leave with a single O-level in art, achieved by drawing a Dunlop Green Flash trainer that he now keeps displayed in his office. The spurred him on to create the Kurt Geiger Academy, a government-recognised educational institution built within the company's London HQ.Clifford questions the usefulness of teaching history in school and wonders if the emphasis on mathematics - championed by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak - is wise, seeing as "we can't out mathematics India or China". Instead he says the UK should focus on sectors where it maintains global leadership, pointing to creative industries as areas where Britain would be World Champions. Clifford describes how the company has moved