Today's exam results once again serve to remind me that youngsters appear to be getting cleverer as the years go on.

And that people of my generation must have been really thick because our results were nothing like so good.

While not wishing to denigrate today's youngsters who I am sure, have all worked very hard, is it fair to say they are more intelligent than their parents?

While instances of teenagers getting five or more A-C grades appear to increase every year, are the results really that good? Also, are they in the long term interests of the child or society in general?

Certainly it will make getting into university easier - and with the amount of surplus places available in higher education then I am sure most youngsters will have no problem securing a place.

But to study what? Do we really need any more media studies graduates - do we want to turn into a nation of analysts endlessly analysing other analysts.

What we we need are young people who will drive forward the economy by providing business with the skills it needs to succeed.

Just 12 per cent of students leaving university have degrees in science, engineering or technology and this has to improve.

The boss of one very successful manufacturing company recently confided to me that of out of all the young people applying for work, more than half could not do simple calculations, while many found basic English a difficult concept.

If we cannot communicate or add up then what hope is there for the future of British manufacturing?

The CBI said recently that the UK had to act quickly to prevent more British technology and engineering jobs from being exported overseas.

It said new research revealed that the number of graduates holding technology, science and engineering degrees had to increase from 45,000 to 97,000 just to fill new positions by 2014, and this shortage of skills, combined with the predicted growth in jobs, could lead many more companies to leave Britain.

What makes this more difficult to achieve is that Government investment to provide modern science facilities for schools is still insufficient.

If companies cannot find the resources they need then many will be forced to look abroad or simply relocate altogether.

If we don't start shaping up then there are plenty of companies in China and India ready to fill the void.

Martin Johnson, deputy general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, recently had the courage to speak out on the issue and his comments on the excessive testing regime in schools were particularly apt.

He said: "The Government is lagging behind what many throughout the education community, parents and the public already know.

"Until the current testing and target driven system is abandoned, the curriculum stands no chance of helping students learn and develop the skills they need for life."

Sure we need a concerted effort to develop skills-based learning programmes and find better ways of encouraging people to work in industry rather than have them believe they can achieve instant fame and fortune by appearing on some third rate reality television show.