Delivering for Young People

More in Positive Destinations Following School

In 2009/10, the proportion of young people in positive destinations nine months after leaving school was 85.9%. This means young people going on to work, training or further study.

In 2023/24, the figure was 93.1% – similar to the pre-pandemic peak. The increase over the latest year has been driven by increases in school leavers reaching higher and further education.

Moreover, the gap in positive destinations between young people from our most and least deprived communities has more than halved since 2009/10. Record numbers of young Scots have secured a university place in Scotland, including a record number of 18 year olds from deprived areas.

This is a testament to the hard work of those young people and the extraordinary support provided by Scotland’s teachers, lecturers and other support staff.

But another key factor in this is the SNP Scottish Government’s record high investment in education and skills. Scotland has more teachers per pupil than any other UK nation, and the highest per-person investment in education - with the 2026/27 Scottish Budget also providing a 10% funding increase of £70 million for our college sector.

The SNP’s expansion of Educational Maintenance Allowances has also been important in supporting more young people aged 16 to 19 to stay on in learning, with support made available to part-time college students for the first time. And, of course, students in Scotland benefit from the SNP’s landmark policy of free tuition – and consequently from the lowest student loan debt in the UK – which only the SNP can be trusted to protect.

A range of support, including from careers advisers and the Developing the Young Workforce network, is available for young people considering their options after school – with the previous Angus South MSP Graeme Dey, in his time as Minister for Higher & Further Education, having initiated legislation that will better enable funding to go where it matters most, supporting the skills, services and innovation that our economy and learners need to thrive.

The SNP is determined to ensure young people can access the right help they need to enable them into a positive destination, and in government will continue to invest in opportunities for young people across Scotland.