Education, religion and the "first destinations" of recent school-leavers in Northern Ireland

Abstract

Data from a cross-section survey of recent school-leavers in Northern Ireland are used to examine the relationship between family and educational background and "first destinations" approximately 6 to 9 months after leaving school. Six destinations are distinguished - employment, Youth Training Programme schemes, unemployment, higher education, further education and other inactivity. Particular attention is paid to the roles of religion, qualifications and subject choice. Nested logit models are estimated and subjected to a range of mis-specification tests. The results suggest that, after controlling for a standard set of explanatory variables, religion and the number of qualifications, but not subject choice, are significant in explaining post school destinations. In particular, Catholic males who leave from fifth and lower-sixth form are significantly less likely to be employed and more likely to be on a YTP scheme.