EMPLOYERS have been urged to swot up on changes to GCSEs, so job applicants fresh from school do not cause confusion.

Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership has carried out a survey suggesting 40 per cent of the county’s business leaders are unfamiliar with grading changes.

As reported in the Oxford Mail yesterday, GCSE results released on Thursday will be the first since the government brought in numerical grades to replace letters.

Letter grades of A* - G are being phased out in place of 9 - 1, with 9 representing the top achievement.

OxLEP’s chief executive Nigel Tipple said: “We want to encourage our businesses to understand the changes and be as prepared as possible.

“These changes will undoubtedly have an impact...Businesses should take action and look to update all recruitment-based materials where required.”

Changes apply this year to English and maths, with other subjects following suit in the coming years.

Concerns have been raised about employers who might disregard CVs with the new grades, because they do not understand how they compare to students with the older grade style.

OxLEP did not give details about who or how many people were surveyed.

A Department for Education spokesman said: “ We have been working directly with the CBI (Confederation of British Industry) and others to communicate this with employers. Almost two thirds of employers [nationally] are aware of the new GCSE grading system, and we will ensure that engagement continues.”