Why is this National Indicator important?
The successful transition of young people from compulsory education into positive and sustained learning, training or work is of great importance to both the individual and wider society. The learning accessed during a young person's school career provides the bedrock for future opportunities to be realised through a combination of the knowledge, skills, aptitude and personal qualities people need to lead positive and productive adult lives.
Youth unemployment is a serious issue for the Scottish Government. We know that young people who experience a period out of learning or training are more likely to become unemployed than those who participate. This risk increases the longer the young person remains disengaged.
There is a strong association between under-achievement and unemployment. In improving the rate of participation across all 16-19 year olds, we will help deliver improvements to the economy, as well as address a range of social issues central to improving the opportunities available to individuals throughout their life.
This indicator provides clear evidence of how the Scottish education system supports young people to make their transition to post-16 learning, training or work. It also provides important evidence more broadly, on how organisations across the employment, education and vocational sectors and the wider support system are delivering for young people as they transition from education into employment.
What will influence this National Indicator?
We know that the vast majority of young people make a positive transition from compulsory learning to post-16 learning, training or work. This enables them to build on their skills and enables them to develop as individuals and contribute to the wider society. Making progress is therefore about continuing to develop and provide opportunities for all young people as they move through their school career and by ensuring that transitions into adult life are supported. However, there continues to be a real need to address the strong correlation between young people who have not fulfilled their academic potential at school, those who have become disengaged from school, those living in or experiencing deprivation and those young people leaving care and young people who don't make a successful transition into post-16 learning, training or work.
The Government's wider aim of tackling the causes of poverty and deprivation offer an important intervention that can influence this indicator. So can:
- early identification of individuals at risk and support for them throughout their time at school
- the development of a senior phase curriculum that supports all young people
- appropriate support for young people as they make transitions through the senior phase and
- effective career advice and guidance and targeted support for those who need it most
What is the Government's role?
Supporting young people to participate in post-16 learning, training or work is the best means of improving their long-term job prospects. This Government's long term aim, therefore, is to enable all young people to achieve and progress in learning and to equip them with the skills to get and sustain a job. Through Opportunities for All, we will work with key partners to ensure:
- effective delivery of young people's existing entitlements to a senior phase of Curriculum for Excellence, with well-planned transitions facilitated through 16+ Learning Choices
- successful transition from school with targeted support for those who need it most and
- any offer of learning is appropriate to the young person's needs, circumstances and ambitions and offers an opportunity for progression
Opportunities for All is an explicit commitment to an offer of a place in education or training based on individual needs and circumstances for every 16-19 year old who is not currently in work, education or training. This commitment builds on and adds impetus to existing activity being taken forward through Curriculum for Excellence and 16+ Learning Choices and forms a significant element of the Governments reform of post-16 education.
Opportunities for All, which incorporates the More Choices, More Chances strategy, is the Government's policy to encourage Local Authorities, Community Planning and other partners, including employers, to undertake a broad range of measures to ensure that the post-16 system focuses on supporting those at risk of disengaging and those who have already done so.
How is Scotland performing?
The proportion of school leavers in positive and sustained destinations was 85.2% in March/April 2011 compared to 85.1% in March/April 2010.
The data for this chart is available at the bottom of the page
Source: Skills Development Scotland
Criteria for recent change
This evaluation is based on: any difference within +/- 1 percentage point of last year's figure suggests that the position is more likely to be maintaining than showing any change. An increase of 1 percentage points or more suggests the position is improving; whereas a decrease of 1 percentage points or more suggests the position is worsening. Changes resulting from the improved recording of unknown destinations were also taken into account in this evaluation.
Further Information
For information on general methodological approach, please click here.
Scotland Performs Technical Note
Who are our partners?
Community Planning Partnerships
Employers
Colleges
Universities
Local authorities
Schools - local authority funded; grant-aided and independent
Scottish Qualifications Authority
The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework Partnership (SCQF)
Skills Development Scotland
Education Scotland
Voluntary sector organisations
Related Strategic Objectives
Smarter
Healthier
Wealthier and Fairer