HC Deb 18 July 1994 vol 247 cc65-6W
Mr. Bayley

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of summer-term school leavers had(a) obtained employment, (b) started vocational training and (c) started courses of further or higher education by the following October in 1978 and in each year since then.

Miss Widdecombe

The information in the table has been taken from the youth cohort study of England and Wales. The youth cohort study started in 1985 and has surveyed young people reaching minimum school leaving age approximately every two years since then.

Main activity status1 of 16-year-olds2 in the October after leaving school3
Per cent.
In a full time job (over 30 hours a week) On a training scheme e.g. youth training College of further education (or tertiary college) full time4
October 1984 24.0 39.0 20.0
October 1985 23.0 37.0 20.0
October 1986 26.0 39.0 21.0
October 1988 31.0 36.0 25.0
October 1990 28.0 23.0 34.0
October 1991 22.0 19.0 42.0

Source: Youth Cohoht Study.

1 Main activity status identifies whether young people are out of work, in a full time job (over 30 hours a week), on a training scheme, full time at school or sixth form college, at a college of further education (or tertiary college) full time or doing something else.

2 Aged 16 at preceding 31 August.

3 Figures for October 1984 and October 1985 covered pupils in state schools only; independent schools were included from 1987 onwards.

4 Excluding those young people who remain in school or sixth form college.