Record number of school leavers in work, training or study

A record number of young people were in work, training or further study less than a year after the end of the school term.

The latest Follow-up Leaver Destinations statistics show 93.5% of those finishing school in the last academic year (2021-22) were progressing their studies or careers after nine months – up from 93.2% the year before.

The number of school leavers in work has also reached a record high of 31.8%.

The gap between those from the most and least deprived areas in work, training or further study  has also narrowed to a record low of seven percentage points – down from 18.7 percentage points in 2009-10.

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said:

"I am greatly encouraged to see we have a record number of young people in work, training or further study less than a year after leaving school. These figures are testament to the hard work of learners across the country.

"We know the pandemic had a significant impact on our education system, but Scotland’s teachers and support staff are clearly preparing young learners for the next stage in life very well, whether that be work or further study.

"This Government has prioritised tackling the gap in achievement between the most and least deprived areas, so I am heartened to see this gap continuing to close.

"As we start to embark on a programme of education reform in the months ahead, it is clear that we will be building on a very strong platform."

Background

The annual Summary Statistics for Follow-up Leaver Destinations publication  provides a snapshot of the destinations of 2021-22 school leavers from publicly funded mainstream schools approximately nine months after the end of the school year.