Calls made for state schools to improve presentation skills training

Many adults struggle when it comes to giving presentations and in order to boost their skills in this area, some take advantage of free presentation skills training. Meanwhile, many wish that they had benefited from more experience of public speaking when they were still in education.

Developing presentation skills while at school and then in higher or further education can put people in an advantageous position. After all, for those who lack experience when it comes to giving talks, the process can be daunting.

If new proposals announced by Labour are ever taken up and implemented by government, more people may get to hone their public speaking during their younger years.

Shadow education secretary Stephen Twigg recently suggested that schools should teach debating.

According to the politician, state comprehensives should be encouraged to run public school-style debating societies in a bid to boost pupils’ speaking and language skills.

He recommended that teachers should provide students with tuition in vocabulary, presentation skills, research and forming an argument amid fears that too many youngsters leave education without the ability to communicate effectively.

Mr Twigg also stated that state sector teachers should adopt tactics used in private schools to ensure that children gain a variety of ‘life skills’ needed to succeed when they enter the world of work.

He remarked: “Developing character and resilience must be one of the aims of a modern curriculum. It means having an exam system that assesses the skills necessary to thrive in the modern economy.”

For those who have already been through education but who are eager to enhance their ability to give engaging, confident and informative talks, it is now possible to take advantage of free online presentation skills training courses. Making use of these learning programmes can really help to boost individuals’ long-term career prospects.