Bright future for school leavers
More young people in Cambuslang and Rutherglen are leaving school and going onto employment, further education or training than ever before.
A report due to go before the education resources committee yesterday outlines the destinations for school leavers in 2016/17.
It reveals that from the 3367 leavers, 95.9 per cent reached “positive destinations”.
This compares to 93 per cent in 2015/16 and 94 per cent in 2014/15.
The average for Cambuslang and Rutherglen last year also narrowly exceeds both the South Lanarkshire and Scottish averages.
Each year the key outcomes from analysis of the School Leaver Initial Destination Results (SLDR) for South Lanarkshire are reported, together with comment on issues arising or implications for the council and its partners.
The report before councillors states: “A total of 3367 young people left school in South Lanarkshire in 2016-2017 and this year South Lanarkshire was ranked fifth for positive destinations in relation to all local authorities.
“It is also the third consecutive year that the South Lanarkshire figure has been greater than the Scottish average.
“This year also sees the highest figure recorded for South Lanarkshire since the information has been collected.” The statistics recorded show that: The positive destination rate for South Lanarkshire of 95.8 per cent sits above the national average of 93.7 per cent.
The unemployed (seeking) rate for South Lanarkshire is 2.8 per cent. This sits below the national average of 4.5 per cent.
The unemployed (not seeking) rate for South Lanarkshire is 1.2 per cent. This sits below the national average of 1.4 per cent.
The unconfirmed rate for South Lanarkshire is 0.02 per cent. This sits below the national average of 0.4 per cent.
Tony McDaid, the local authority’s executive director of education resources, said previously: “The council has, in partnership with Skills Development Scotland, worked hard to support all young people into a positive school leaver destination.
“These results are extremely positive and reflect the hard work of all partners involved.
“There has been a particular focus on young people who are identified as being at risk of not entering or struggling to sustain a positive destination.
“We have also targeted additional resources to achieve the council’s wider ambitions of closing the gap, tackling poverty and reducing inequality.
“Cambuslang and Rutherglen have benefited from additional resources and targeted intervention which have seen improvement over the last three years.
“This has resulted in an increase in the number of positive leaver destinations.
Rutherglen MSP Clare Haughey added: “Being able to go on to a positive destination after leaving school – whether that is college, university, work or training – is a great boost for young people, improving their selfconfidence and setting them up to make positive contributions to our communities as adults.
“That more young people are going on to positive destinations this year than previously – up six per cent over the last six years – is fantastic.”