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Overview
Excutive Summary
This is the tenth Scottish Funding Council (SFC) College Leaver Destinations publication, providing updated statistics on the destinations of full-time qualifiers from Scotland’s colleges. Most of this report focuses on qualifiers that have left the college sector. The Annex document provides additional context and metadata.
For 2022-23, SFC had confirmed destinations for 89.0% of full-time qualifiers. 39.2% of those with known destinations were sector leavers, with the other 60.8% continuing their study at college. Of those that were sector leavers, 86.7% went onto positive destinations. This was a 0.7pp increase from the previous year.
College Leaver Destinations
Qualifiers
Figure 1: Full-Time Qualifiers 2015-16 to 2022-23 from Scotland’s Colleges
| Academic Year | Continuing College Study | Sector Leaver | Confirmed Destination | Unconfirmed Destination | All Qualifiers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 26,121 | 18,062 | 44,183 | 6,499 | 50,682 |
| 2016-17 | 25,715 | 19,001 | 44,716 | 5,582 | 50,298 |
| 2017-18 | 26,206 | 19,314 | 45,520 | 5,290 | 50,810 |
| 2018-19 | 25,806 | 17,484 | 43,290 | 5,334 | 48,624 |
| 2019-20 | 24,662 | 16,334 | 40,996 | 4,915 | 45,911 |
| 2020-21 | 23,079 | 16,653 | 39,732 | 5,838 | 45,570 |
| 2021-22 | 20,508 | 15,469 | 35,977 | 4,634 | 40,611 |
| 2022-23 | 22,202 | 14,301 | 36,503 | 4,496 | 40,999 |
| Academic Year | Continuing College Study (%) | Sector Leaver (%) | Confirmed Destination (%) | Unconfirmed Destination (%) | All Qualifiers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 59.1 | 40.9 | 87.2 | 12.8 | 50,682 |
| 2016-17 | 57.5 | 42.5 | 88.9 | 11.1 | 50,298 |
| 2017-18 | 57.6 | 42.4 | 89.6 | 10.4 | 50,810 |
| 2018-19 | 59.6 | 40.4 | 89.0 | 11.0 | 48,624 |
| 2019-20 | 60.2 | 39.8 | 89.3 | 10.7 | 45,911 |
| 2020-21 | 58.1 | 41.9 | 87.2 | 12.8 | 45,570 |
| 2021-22 | 57.0 | 43.0 | 88.6 | 11.4 | 40,611 |
| 2022-23 | 60.8 | 39.2 | 89.0 | 11.0 | 40,999 |
| Percentages for those Continuing College Study and Sector Leavers are calculated from those with a confirmed destination. | |||||
Successful qualifiers are those who have successfully completed a full-time course and either left the college sector or are remaining at college to complete a subsequent qualification. The total number of qualifiers in 2022-23 increased by 388 since the previous session. Of those qualifiers, the number with a confirmed destination increased to 89%, a 0.4pp change when compared to the previous session. Further information about confirmed destinations can be found in the annex document.
Of the successful qualifiers with a confirmed destination, the proportion who remained in college increased from the previous session to 60.8%, a 3.8pp change, while the number of Sector Leavers decreased from the previous session to 39.2%. The proportion of qualifiers who have chosen to continue college study was similar to that of the level seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Figure 2: 2022-23 Full-Time Qualifiers from Scotland’s Colleges by SCQF Level
| SCQF Level | Continuing College Study | Sector Leaver | Confirmed Destination | Unconfirmed Destination | All Qualifiers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SCQF 1-6 | 18,244 | 6,877 | 25,121 | 2,463 | 27,584 |
| SCQF 7+ | 3,958 | 7,424 | 11,382 | 2,033 | 13,415 |
| Total | 22,202 | 14,301 | 36,503 | 4,496 | 40,999 |
| SCQF Level | Continuing College Study (%) | Sector Leaver (%) | Confirmed Destination (%) | Unconfirmed Destination (%) | All Qualifiers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SCQF 1-6 | 72.6 | 27.4 | 91.1 | 8.9 | 27,584 |
| SCQF 7+ | 34.8 | 65.2 | 84.8 | 15.2 | 13,415 |
| Total | 60.8 | 39.2 | 89.0 | 11.0 | 40,999 |
The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) Partnership is funded by the SFC and the Scottish Government and works with every sector of education and training plus learners, parents, carers and employers. The SCQF has 12 levels, ranging from basic introductory skills (level 1) to doctoral degrees (level 12). Each level signifies the complexity of the learning outcomes1.
There were 1,790 more qualifiers at SCQF 1-6 level and 1,402 fewer qualifiers at SCQF level 7+ when compared to the previous session. The majority of SCQF 1-6 qualifiers stayed on at college (72.6%) while only 34.8% at SCQF 7+ remained. At SCQF 1-6 Sector Leavers accounted for 27.4% of qualifiers, while at SCQF 7+ the proportion was 65.2%.
Sector Leavers
Figure 3: Sector Leaver Comparison 2015-16 to 2022-23
| Academic Year | FE to University | HE to University | FE/HE into work | Positive Destination | Unemployed | Unavailable for work | Other Destination | All Qualifiers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 1,027 | 6,144 | 8,646 | 15,817 | 1,499 | 746 | 2,245 | 18,062 |
| 2016-17 | 1,251 | 6,582 | 8,941 | 16,774 | 1,476 | 751 | 2,227 | 19,001 |
| 2017-18 | 1,267 | 6,415 | 9,519 | 17,201 | 1,305 | 808 | 2,113 | 19,314 |
| 2018-19 | 1,162 | 5,817 | 8,373 | 15,352 | 1,298 | 834 | 2,132 | 17,484 |
| 2019-20 | 1,659 | 5,991 | 6,130 | 13,780 | 1,585 | 969 | 2,554 | 16,334 |
| 2020-21 | 1,280 | 5,655 | 8,211 | 15,146 | 836 | 671 | 1,507 | 16,653 |
| 2021-22 | 1,233 | 4,404 | 7,666 | 13,303 | 1,342 | 824 | 2,166 | 15,469 |
| 2022-23 | 1,149 | 4,320 | 6,927 | 12,396 | 1,174 | 731 | 1,905 | 14,301 |
| Academic Year | FE to University (%) | HE to University (%) | FE/HE into work (%) | Positive Destination (%) | Unemployed (%) | Unavailable for work (%) | Other Destination (%) | All Qualifiers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 5.7 | 34.0 | 47.9 | 87.6 | 8.3 | 4.1 | 12.4 | 18,062 |
| 2016-17 | 6.6 | 34.6 | 47.1 | 88.3 | 7.8 | 4.0 | 11.7 | 19,001 |
| 2017-18 | 6.6 | 33.2 | 49.3 | 89.1 | 6.8 | 4.2 | 10.9 | 19,314 |
| 2018-19 | 6.6 | 33.3 | 47.9 | 87.8 | 7.4 | 4.8 | 12.2 | 17,484 |
| 2019-20 | 10.2 | 36.7 | 37.5 | 84.4 | 9.7 | 5.9 | 15.6 | 16,334 |
| 2020-21 | 7.7 | 34.0 | 49.3 | 91.0 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 9.0 | 16,653 |
| 2021-22 | 8.0 | 28.5 | 49.6 | 86.0 | 8.7 | 5.3 | 14.0 | 15,469 |
| 2022-23 | 8.0 | 30.2 | 48.4 | 86.7 | 8.2 | 5.1 | 13.3 | 14,301 |
The number of Sector Leavers with a confirmed destination was the lowest of the last 8 sessions (14,301). This is consistent with statistics on college student numbers as published in the College Statistics publication which has shown a reduction in the numbers of students at college2. The proportion of Sector Leavers with a positive destination has slightly increased compared with 2021-22. A higher proportion of the Sector Leavers in the latest year entered university (HE to university) (1.7pp increase) while a lower proportion entered work (1.1pp decrease).
Universities play a vital role in offering opportunities for learners post-college. As shown in Figure 3, 8.0% of Sector Leavers qualifying at FE level (SCQF 1-6) went on to university and 30.2% of Sector Leavers from HE level study moved on to university in the latest session. The FE entry to university increased 0.1pp from 2021-22. Many of these learners moved onto university study via SWAP access programme 3 or defined articulation pathways. Examples of some articulation pathways can be found on university websites, with more information about the articulation of students from college to university in the Report on Widening Access4.
Figure 4: Confirmed Destinations of Sector Leavers 2022-23 by level
| SCQF Level | Enrolled at a HEI | Gained employment | Positive Destination | Unemployed | Unavailable for work | Other Destination | All confirmed destinations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SCQF 1-6 | 1,149 | 4,258 | 5,407 | 903 | 567 | 1,470 | 6,877 |
| SCQF 7+ | 4,320 | 2,669 | 6,989 | 271 | 164 | 435 | 7,424 |
| Total | 5,469 | 6,927 | 12,396 | 1,174 | 731 | 1,905 | 14,301 |
| SCQF Level | Enrolled at a HEI (%) | Gained employment (%) | Positive Destination (%) | Unemployed (%) | Unavailable for work (%) | Other Destination (%) | All confirmed destinations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SCQF 1-6 | 16.7 | 61.9 | 78.6 | 13.1 | 8.2 | 21.4 | 6,877 |
| SCQF 7+ | 58.2 | 36.0 | 94.1 | 3.7 | 2.2 | 5.9 | 7,424 |
| Total | 38.2 | 48.4 | 86.7 | 8.2 | 5.1 | 13.3 | 14,301 |
The destinations by SCQF levels shows similar patterns to previous sessions. For SCQF 1-6 leavers, employment was still the most attractive destination, at 61.9% (1.2pp higher than 2021-22). For SCQF 7+ leavers university study was still the most attractive destination, at 58.2% (6.7pp higher than 2021-22). For SCQF 7+ Sector Leavers the proportion finding employment decreased by 4.6pp to 36.0%. For SCQF 7+, the proportion of unemployment decreased from the last session by 1.8pp, compared to SCQF 1-6 where this proportion increased 0.4pp.
A greater proportion of Sector Leavers with higher levels of qualifications do tend to find positive destinations compared to those with lower levels of qualifications, with SCQF 1-6 averaging 78.6% compared to 94.1% at SCQF 7+. The vast majority of SCQF 1-6 qualifiers stay in college for further study, at 72.6% (18,244/27,584). This continued college study is a positive outcome for those at the lower SCQF levels, however this is excluded here since the analysis only looks at those who leave the college sector.
Figure 5: Confirmed Destinations of Sector Leavers 2022-23 by Gender
| Gender | SQCF Level | Enrolled at a HEI | Gained employment | Positive Destination | Unemployed | Unavailable for work | Other Destination | All confirmed destinations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female | SCQF 1-6 | 912 | 1,731 | 2,643 | 358 | 384 | 742 | 3,385 |
| Male | SCQF 1-6 | 227 | 2,480 | 2,707 | 528 | 169 | 697 | 3,404 |
| Female | SCQF 7+ | 2,621 | 1,490 | 4,111 | 145 | 117 | 262 | 4,373 |
| Male | SCQF 7+ | 1,644 | 1,143 | 2,787 | 118 | 45 | 163 | 2,950 |
| Total | Total | 5,404 | 6,844 | 12,248 | 1,149 | 715 | 1,864 | 14,112 |
| Gender | SQCF Level | Enrolled at a HEI (%) | Gained employment (%) | Positive Destination (%) | Unemployed (%) | Unavailable for work (%) | Other Destination (%) | All confirmed destinations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female | SCQF 1-6 | 26.9 | 51.1 | 78.1 | 10.6 | 11.3 | 21.9 | 3,385 |
| Male | SCQF 1-6 | 6.7 | 72.9 | 79.5 | 15.5 | 5.0 | 20.5 | 3,404 |
| Female | SCQF 7+ | 59.9 | 34.1 | 94.0 | 3.3 | 2.7 | 6.0 | 4,373 |
| Male | SCQF 7+ | 55.7 | 38.7 | 94.5 | 4.0 | 1.5 | 5.5 | 2,950 |
| Total | Total | 149.3 | 196.8 | 346.1 | 33.4 | 20.5 | 53.9 | 14,112 |
The proportion of female Sector Leavers from SCQF 1-6 courses who entered a positive destination (78.1%) increased by 1.3pp on the previous session (76.7%), and a higher proportion entered employment (1.2pp increase) rather than continuing their education at a Higher Education Institution (HEI). Female Sector Leavers from SCQF 7+ courses were more likely to enter a positive destination, a 2.0pp increase from the previous session (94.0%) and were more likely to continue their education at an HEI (9.5pp increase from the previous session).
In comparison, male Sector Leavers from SCQF 1-6 courses were less likely to enter a positive destination (79.5%, a 1pp decrease) and they were more likely to enter employment (0.5pp increase) instead of continuing studies at an HEI (1.5pp decrease). Meanwhile male Sector Leavers from SCQF 7+ courses were more likely to enter a positive destination (2.3pp increase) and were more likely to continue their studies (2.6pp increase) when compared to the previous session.
Of the Sector Leavers from SCQF 1-6 courses, male students were more likely to become unemployed (a 1.7pp increase), while from SCQF 7+ courses, the gap was 1.9pp, a decrease from the previous session.
Figure 6: Confirmed Destinations of Sector Leavers 2022-23 by Subject Area
| Subject | Enrolled at a HEI (%) | Gained employment (%) | Positive Destination (%) | Unemployed (%) | Unavailable for work (%) | Other Destination (%) | All confirmed destinations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Art and design Arts and Crafts | 33.6 | 40.7 | 74.3 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 25.7 | 226 |
| Business, management and administration | 5.6 | 61.9 | 67.5 | 22.5 | 10.0 | 32.5 | 160 |
| Care | 49.9 | 35.5 | 85.4 | 6.6 | 8.0 | 14.6 | 1,220 |
| Computing and ICT | 7.9 | 44.7 | 52.6 | 30.7 | 16.7 | 47.4 | 114 |
| Construction | 0.4 | 82.6 | 83.0 | 13.7 | 3.3 | 17.0 | 818 |
| Education and training | 2.3 | 56.8 | 59.1 | 23.9 | 17.0 | 40.9 | 88 |
| Engineering | 1.5 | 88.5 | 90.0 | 7.9 | 2.1 | 10.0 | 1,169 |
| Hairdressing, beauty and complementary therapies | 1.2 | 78.1 | 79.3 | 9.7 | 10.9 | 20.7 | 658 |
| Hospitality and Tourism | 1.6 | 73.7 | 75.3 | 16.6 | 8.1 | 24.7 | 434 |
| Land-based industries | 0.7 | 78.1 | 78.8 | 15.0 | 6.2 | 21.2 | 274 |
| Languages and ESOL | 10.0 | 55.8 | 65.8 | 15.6 | 18.6 | 34.2 | 301 |
| Media | 15.5 | 42.3 | 57.7 | 26.8 | 15.5 | 42.3 | 71 |
| Nautical studies | 0.0 | 91.7 | 91.7 | 5.6 | 2.8 | 8.3 | 72 |
| Performing arts | 10.9 | 58.7 | 69.6 | 23.9 | 6.5 | 30.4 | 46 |
| Science | 65.5 | 22.8 | 88.4 | 6.4 | 5.2 | 11.6 | 267 |
| Social subjects | 55.9 | 27.3 | 83.3 | 8.4 | 8.4 | 16.7 | 311 |
| Special Programmes | 0.0 | 34.2 | 34.2 | 41.9 | 23.9 | 65.8 | 360 |
| Sport and leisure | 4.2 | 74.3 | 78.5 | 16.0 | 5.6 | 21.5 | 288 |
| Total | 16.7 | 61.9 | 78.6 | 13.1 | 8.2 | 21.4 | 6,877 |
| Subject | Enrolled at a HEI (%) | Gained employment (%) | Positive Destination (%) | Unemployed (%) | Unavailable for work (%) | Other Destination (%) | All confirmed destinations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Art and design Arts and Crafts | 65.4 | 24.1 | 89.5 | 7.2 | 3.2 | 10.5 | 622 |
| Business, management and administration | 67.0 | 28.4 | 95.4 | 3.1 | 1.5 | 4.6 | 1,040 |
| Care | 61.3 | 34.0 | 95.3 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 4.7 | 1,620 |
| Computing and ICT | 70.6 | 21.8 | 92.4 | 5.2 | 2.4 | 7.6 | 579 |
| Construction | 67.8 | 28.9 | 96.7 | 0.9 | 2.4 | 3.3 | 211 |
| Education and training | 13.0 | 84.1 | 97.1 | 0.0 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 69 |
| Engineering | 27.5 | 68.6 | 96.2 | 3.3 | 0.5 | 3.8 | 599 |
| Hairdressing, beauty and complementary therapies | 17.8 | 70.8 | 88.6 | 7.6 | 3.8 | 11.4 | 264 |
| Hospitality and Tourism | 32.7 | 55.6 | 88.3 | 6.2 | 5.6 | 11.7 | 162 |
| Land-based industries | 11.5 | 50.0 | 61.5 | 26.9 | 11.5 | 38.5 | 26 |
| Media | 52.3 | 38.6 | 90.9 | 6.1 | 3.0 | 9.1 | 396 |
| Nautical studies | 3.1 | 96.9 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 128 |
| Performing arts | 44.7 | 45.8 | 90.4 | 6.8 | 2.7 | 9.6 | 365 |
| Science | 72.5 | 24.5 | 97.1 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 2.9 | 273 |
| Social subjects | 88.4 | 8.3 | 96.7 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 3.3 | 569 |
| Sport and leisure | 63.7 | 33.7 | 97.4 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 2.6 | 501 |
| Total | 58.2 | 36.0 | 94.1 | 3.7 | 2.2 | 5.9 | 7,424 |
Positive destinations for subject groupings at SCQF 1-6 for Sector Leavers range from 52.6% (Computing and ICT) to 91.7% (Nautical studies)5. At SCQF 7+, the range is 61.5% (Land-based industries) to 100.0% (Nautical studies). A greater proportion of Sector Leavers with higher levels of qualifications do tend to find positive destinations compared to those with lower levels of qualifications, with SCQF 1-6 averaging 78.6% compared to 94.1% at SCQF 7+.
In this session for SCQF level 1-6, most subject areas have seen a drop in positive destinations except for Care (1.9pp), Construction (5.5pp), Hairdressing, beauty and complementary therapies (6.9pp), Land based industries (0.3pp) Languages and ESOL (3.0pp), Performing arts (4.1pp), and Sport and leisure (2.4pp). Positive destinations for Science were unchanged. Business, management and administration (-10.0pp), Computing and ICT (-15.6pp) and Education and training (-15.9pp) saw the largest decrease in positive destinations at SCQF level 1-6.
Figure 7: Percentage point difference for positive destinations by Subject area between 2021-22 and 2022-23
At SCQF level 7+, Land based industries saw a 27.1pp (88.6% to 61.5%) decrease of positive destinations, these are based on small numbers of qualifiers. Otherwise, at SCQF level 7+ only Art and design Arts and crafts (-1.7pp), Hospitality and tourism (-4.1pp) and Performing arts (-0.8) saw a decrease in positive destinations. However, the proportion of SCQF 7+ qualifiers who gained employment only increased for Engineering (+11pp) and Hairdressing, beauty and complementary therapies (+4.3pp), with other subjects showing decreases. Land-based industries (-20.5pp) and Construction (-18.5pp) saw the largest decrease in qualifiers who entered employment. More information on the destinations of sector leavers by subject compared to the previous session is shown in the background tables published alongside this report.
Qualifiers from SCQF 1-6 Special programmes, which are generally designed for students with additional support needs for learning, saw the lowest levels of positive destinations at 34.2%. A decrease since the last session of 2.6pp.