Skills learned on the job can have a dramatic effect on a young person's employability and pay, the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has found.

In a survey nine out of 10 (89%) recruiters said they considered relevant work experience an important part of a CV and 13% said they would not interview a candidate without relevant work experience.

It also showed that young people were likely to earn £1,050 a year more – the equivalent of £87 a month – if they gained relevant work experience while at college or school.

Commenting on the LSC survey, skills minister Phil Hope said employers needed to do more to promote work experience opportunities.

“We need employers to be working increasingly closely with schools and colleges – by offering apprenticeships, work-based learning and work experience for those in learning,” he said.

But traditional qualifications are also important. The study found that 22% of employers would not recruit a 16-to-19-year-old with limited qualifications or fewer than five GCSEs, and a third of businesses would invest significantly more time and money in new recruits with at least five GCSEs.