Northern Ireland
Without a basic qualification at age 19
Key points
- The proportion of 19-year-olds lacking basic qualifications in Northern Ireland has fluctuated over the last decade but without any clear trend. Overall, around one in five 19-year-olds lack NVQ2 or equivalent (which includes 5 GCSEs at grades A to C) while up to one in ten have no qualifications at all.
- The proportion of 19- to 24-year-olds failing to achieve basic qualifications in Northern Ireland is somewhat lower than the Great Britain average.
Graph 1: Over time
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Graph 2: Compared to GB
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Definitions and data sources
This indicator looks at young adults up to the age of 24 who lack 'basic qualifications. The importance of basic qualifications can be seen from the indicator which shows that among 25- to 50-year-olds, people who lack qualifications to this level run heightened risks of being either out of work or low paid.
The first graph shows the proportion of 19-year-olds without a basic qualification, with the data shown separately for those without NVQ2 or equivalent and those without any GCSEs at grade G or above.
Equivalence scales have been used to translate academic qualifications into their vocational equivalents. So, for example, 'NVQ2 or equivalent' includes those with five GCSEs at grade C or above, GNVQ level 2, two AS levels or one A level. In line with these equivalence scales, 45% of those with an 'other qualification' are considered to have NVQ2 or equivalent.
The second graph shows how the proportion of 19- to 24-year-olds without a basic qualification in Northern Ireland compares with the regions of Great Britain (a five year age group being chosen because the same sizes for 19-year-olds only is very small). Again, the data is shown separately for those without NVQ2 or equivalent and those without any GCSEs at grade G or above. To improve statistical reliability, the figures are the averages for the years 2004 to 2006.
The data source for both graphs is the Labour Force Survey (LFS). The figures for each year are the average for the four quarters of the relevant year. Respondents who did not answer the questions required to perform the analysis have been excluded from the relevant graphs.
Overall adequacy of the indicator: limited. The LFS is a well-established, quarterly survey designed to be representative of the population as whole. However, a) the sample sizes for 19-year-olds are very small, b) the Department for Education and Skills has recently concluded (see review summary) that, for some reason, LFS appears to overstate academic achievement in comparison with administrative sources, and furthermore that the range and diversity of vocational qualifications has grown in recent year and it is difficult for LFS to accurately capture these. They therefore prefer to use administrative sources to analyse this issue, and conclude that the proportion of 19-year-olds without NVQ2 in England is around a third (rather than a quarter) and that this proportion has been reducing in recent years (rather than being flat).