Post school destinations - % of pupils entering positive post school destinations (c13)

• This measure counts school leavers from publicly funded mainstream schools and reports initial destinations approximately three months after the end of the school year.
• Positive destinations include higher education, further education, employment, training, voluntary work, and personal skills development.

Why this matters

• Measuring positive post‑school destinations is important because it shows whether young people are accessing meaningful education, training, or employment that leads to long‑term opportunity. Tracking these measures also helps to target support to groups who may be at risk of being left behind. 

Latest performance

The latest results show that 93.9% of young people in North Lanarkshire (3,384 out of 3,605) achieved a position destination.

• The lates results (93.9%) show a small decrease from the previous year when 94.2% (3,623 out of 3,848) achieved a position destination but show improvement from The Plan for North Lanarkshire baseline of 91.8% (Figure 13a).
• The latest result of 93.9% equates to 3,623 leavers achieving a positive destination out of 3,384 meaning 221 leavers did not achieve a positive destination (Figure 13b).
• Reviewing the % result for this indicator does not necessarily show the full position in terms of the number of leavers achieving a positive destination.  A more meaningful result is the number of pupils not achieving a positive destination over the years.  As shown in Figure 13b this showed considerable improvement immediately following The Plan for North Lanarkshire baseline (from 303 to 232) and has remained above 200 since.
• Figure 13c shows the main destinations for leavers (higher education, further education, employment, and training) where the data reflects the change in numbers over the period of The Plan for North Lanarkshire.

Figure 13c only reflects the four main positive destinations (i.e. higher education, further education, employment, training) so figures will not add up to the totals in Figure 13b.

The trend in achieving positive post-school destinations in North Lanarkshire over the years has mirrored that of both the national position and the comparative average for the group of similar councils, although figures remain slightly lower.

Impact of delivering The Plan for North Lanarkshire

Improving positive destinations ensures more young people progress into education, training, or employment that builds their skills, confidence, and long‑term prospects. Strong destination outcomes develop a skilled local workforce, reduce future unemployment, and raise earning potential - all of which strengthen the local economy.

A more resilient workforce helps employers fill skills gaps and supports higher productivity, which in turn creates a stronger labour market and a broader, more sustainable tax base. Ultimately, improving post‑school destinations ensures every young person can participate fully in the economy, enabling people and communities to thrive.