HL Deb 06 June 1996 vol 572 cc137-8WA
Baroness Cox

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What are the percentages of young people achieving each of the levels of qualifications at the appropriate ages set out in the National Targets for Education and Training for Foundation Learning in 1995 and in such earlier years for which information is available, giving separately the percentages achieving Target 1 by means of GCSEs at grades A-C, intermediate GNVQ, or NVQ Level 2 and achieving Target 3 by means of GCE A levels, Advanced GNVQ, or NVQ Level 3.

Lord Henley

Estimates from the Labour Force Survey show that in spring 1995 the percentage of young people aged 19–21 in the UK achieving level 2 qualifications was 67 per cent. and the percentage of young people aged 21–23 achieving level 3 qualifications was 45 per cent. Data for earlier years are given in the table. Estimates from the Labour Force Survey also show that 4 per cent. of young people aged 19–21 in spring 1994 and 7 per cent. in spring 1995 reported that they had an NVQ at or above level 2 and that 1 per cent. of young people aged 21–23 in spring 1994 and 2 per cent. in spring 1995 reported that they had an NVQ at or above level 3. In addition to the qualifications listed in the question, young people also reach these levels of attainment through vocational qualifications other than NVQs or GNVQs.

Within England 44 per cent. of 19 year-olds had achieved 5 GCSEs at grades A-C and 26 per cent. of 21 year-olds had achieved 2 GCE A levels by the end of the academic year 1994–95. Equivalent data for earlier years or for the UK are not readily available. The data requested on GNVQs are not available. GNVQs are recent qualifications, first introduced in September 1993 and largely taken by people aged 19 or under and so the current percentage of young people aged 19 or 21 with GNVQs will be small.

Percentage of young people qualified to Foundation Target levels
Year Foundation Target 1 Percentage Foundation Target 3 Percentage
1984 45 25
1985 46 27
1986 46 26
1988 48 27
1989 51 29
1990 52 31
1992 59 35
1993 62 38
1994 66 41
1995 67 45

Source:

Labour Force Survey, spring of each year.

Notes:

1. Changes in the survey coverage in 1992 mean that figures are not directly comparable with earlier years.

2. Changes in the qualification questions mean that figures from 1993 are not directly comparable with those from earlier surveys.