The number of young people in North Lanarkshire leaving school and entering further and higher education, training or employment is at its highest level since data was first recorded 13 years ago.
In 2022/23 94.7% of school leavers were in a positive destination three months after the end of the school year. The national average was 95.9%.
Of those, 40.8% went on to higher education and 26.7% to further education. The further education figure increased from 26.7% in 2021/22 and both figures were above the national average.
24.3% of pupils leaving school went into employment, which matches the national average, and the percentage of young people unemployed and seeking employment dropped from 3.4% to 2.9%.
The number of young people whose destinations are unknown (25) has decreased from 2021/22 to 0.6%.
“These excellent figures highlight the achievements of our pupils in gaining the skills and knowledge they need to progress in their chosen careers,” said Councillor Angela Campbell, Convener of the Education, Children and Families Committee.
“They also reflect the commitment and dedication of our teachers and support staff in delivering the highest standards of education in our schools.
“We are seeing a clear improvement on the previous year as well as over the long term, taking the North Lanarkshire overall figure closer to the national average. The number of young people entering further and higher education are in fact higher than the Scottish average.”
The council set up the Developing the Young Workforce task force in 2023 to ensure pupils have the employability skills to match the demands of the workplace and local economy.
Among the achievements to date are: a summer placement scheme which gives young people experience of career opportunities in the council and health and social care services; creation of the North Lanarkshire Digital School to help pupils and families with learning at home; and improved post-school destinations for young people who are most at risk of going on to negative destinations through the pathways programme and virtual school.
We also has a significant apprenticeship programme, run with Skills Development Scotland (SDS), for school pupils and older young people. In 2021/22, 308 pupils started Foundation Apprenticeships in schools at SCQF Level 4-6 and at September 2023 there were 2,881 Modern Apprentices in training across North Lanarkshire. The programme delivers an achievement rate of 76%. SDS also works with schools to run careers events and provide advice and guidance to pupils through group and one-to-one sessions.