Tag: school leaver positive destinations

94% of Edinburgh school leavers are in positive destinations

SNP MSP Gordon Macdonald has welcomed new figures that show 94% of school leavers across Edinburgh are in positive destinations nine months after finishing school.

Across Scotland, the proportion of school leavers in the 2021/22 cohort accessing further or higher education, employment, training or an apprenticeship nine months after leaving school is at its highest since records began. The number of school leavers in work has also reached a record high of 31.8%.

This year has also seen a reduction in the poverty related attainment gap, with the gap between young people from the most and least deprived areas across Scotland in work, training or further study narrowing to a record low of seven percentage points – down from 18.7 percentage points in 2009-10.

Commenting, Gordon Macdonald MSP said: “Despite the challenges of the pandemic and the impact of the ongoing Tory cost of living crisis, young people across Edinburgh are continuing to achieve and excel, and I welcome that 94% have went on to secure work, further education or a training post nine months after leaving schools.

“These encouraging numbers are testament to the hard work and commitment of our young people, teachers and parents – and show that this Scottish Government is delivering on its education commitments and closing the attainment gap.

“Much progress has been made in Scotland to increase opportunities for young people, but the only way to properly tackle the poverty related attainment gap is to tackle poverty – which will always be impossible under this Tory UK government, and their punitive austerity measures.

“Scotland needs independence now, so that it can have the full powers at its disposal to properly address poverty and continue to support young people across the city to thrive.”

YearLA codeLA NameNumber of leaversPositive DestinationPercentage %
2021/22100Aberdeen City1,7911,62791%
2021/22110Aberdeenshire2,8032,63094%
2021/22120Angus1,3101,21493%
2021/22130Argyll & Bute83678894%
2021/22150Clackmannanshire54247688%
2021/22170Dumfries & Galloway1,6421,53293%
2021/22180Dundee City1,3891,27292%
2021/22190East Ayrshire1,2971,20493%
2021/22200East Dunbartonshire1,4271,39598%
2021/22210East Lothian1,1021,04295%
2021/22220East Renfrewshire1,4281,39297%
2021/22230Edinburgh, City of3,5873,37994%
2021/22235Na h-Eileanan Siar26725796%
2021/22240Falkirk1,7001,57693%
2021/22250Fife4,0793,75892%
2021/22260Glasgow City4,9764,71695%
2021/22270Highland2,5542,38493%
2021/22280Inverclyde83576792%
2021/22290Midlothian1,0841,02094%
2021/22300Moray96090394%
2021/22310North Ayrshire1,5141,41093%
2021/22320North Lanarkshire3,9033,58592%
2021/22330Orkney Islands213[c]
2021/22340Perth & Kinross1,4601,38495%
2021/22350Renfrewshire1,9071,75192%
2021/22355Scottish Borders1,2461,18795%
2021/22360Shetland Islands25924695%
2021/22370South Ayrshire1,1761,14097%
2021/22380South Lanarkshire3,4413,24394%
2021/22390Stirling1,1401,06994%
2021/22395West Dunbartonshire98087789%
2021/22400West Lothian2,1822,01192%

Record number of school leavers in work, training or study – gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Mentor scheme to improve life chances for young people

A £19.4 million Scottish Government fund will support a six year mentoring programme to help young people reach their full potential.

MCR Pathways charity will roll out its successful Young Scottish Talent mentoring programme and social enterprise and charity Columba 1400 will expand its values-based Leadership Academy for Young People, working in partnership to improve education outcomes, career opportunities and life chances.

A network of volunteer mentors – drawn from business, civic society and the wider public – will offer tailored support to young people through schools as lockdown eases. They will be trained to develop strong relationships that are at the heart of the programme and key to helping young people achieve their full potential.

The programme will be delivered in partnership with local authorities that wish to participate and will be part of the Scottish Government’s Young Person’s Guarantee, to provide long term support where it is needed most.

Education Secretary John Swinney said: “Our young people have endured an extremely challenging 12 months coping with the disruption to school life caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. For some young people, this period has impacted them disproportionality, which is why we have introduced the young person’s guarantee.

“Improving the education and life chances of all our children and young people is the defining mission of this government, which is why we are funding this mentoring support package that will enable young people to reach their full potential.”

Marie Clare Tully, Chief Executive of Columba 1400, said: ‘We are delighted that the Scottish Government is enabling Columba 1400 to deepen the reach and impact of our Leadership Academies.

“We can now welcome more of Scotland’s impressive young people on a shared journey to explore their own values, and values-based leadership.

“The core values of Scotland’s young people will be crucial in ensuring that our communities thrive post COVID-19. Columba 1400 is honoured to play a part in creating the conditions for change – enabling Scotland’s young people to transform their schools, their communities and the future of Scotland.”

Graeme McEwan, Chief Executive of MCR Pathways, said: “We are absolutely delighted that the Scottish Government is supporting the expansion of the Young Scottish Talent mentoring programme to thousands more inspiring young people across the country. This recognises the transformational impact of mentoring and the key role it will play in post-Covid recovery in our schools and local communities.

“We look forward to partnering with our local authorities and schools to work with volunteer mentors across the country to help our young people find, grow and use their talents and be all they can be.”

The ambition of the Young Person’s Guarantee is that, within two years, every person aged between 16 and 24 will have the opportunity to study; take up an apprenticeship, job or work experience; or participate in formal volunteering.

MCR Pathways is currently operating in 72 schools across 12 local authorities. Young Edinburgh Talent has been running in Craigroyston Community High School since 2019 and in 2020 the programme was extended to 9 schools across the capital.

This proposal would see it increase to potentially 300 schools over a 6 year period.