Extra-curricular : John Cridland , director general of the Confederation of British Industry , says pupils need more than just A*s. The glut of top grades at GCSE and A-level is forcing employers to focus on young people ’ s extra-curricular activities , according to a business leader . John Cridland – director general of the Confederation of British Industry – said his members must consider character-building elements of a candidate ’ s CV , rather than just qualifications . He told the Times Educational Supplement that ‘ frankly everybody has A*s ’ and said employers want someone who ‘ stands out from the crowd ’ . ‘ What have you done in the local theatre club ? 'What have you done in the local sports club ? 'What have you done to put something back into the community ? ’ he said . ‘ [ These ] are just as important to employers. ’ He added that most bosses ‘ do not recruit on subject or qualification ’ but look for ‘ enthusiasm , creativity and passion ’ . The CBI has previously bemoaned the poor quality of candidates entering the workplace , criticising levels of numeracy and literacy . However Mr Cridland stopped short of suggesting ‘ character ’ should be taught as a separate subject , saying : ‘ A good teacher develops these things in the classroom while teaching English. ’ He added that Ofsted inspections should focus more on the all-round development of pupils . Extra-curricular : He suggests pupils look at extra activities which may impress future bosses .
John Cridland says pupils need more than just good grades to get a job . He said the government should be looking at ways of helping students who are struggling in school and getting them into work.