Education, training and rural living: young people in Ryedale

Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate the impact of rural renaissance projects aimed at overcoming issues of accessibility and out‐migration of the younger, more economically active population and to consider what young people feel about education, training and rural living in Ryedale, North Yorkshire.

Design/methodology/approach

Twenty Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) 5 projects focus on the 10‐29 age group to improve their confidence, employability and opportunities to encourage them to remain in, or return to, Ryedale. Research includes interviews with project managers and a survey of Year 11 students in four secondary schools to reveal views on education, jobs and rural living. The 320 replies are compared with 378 from a 2001 survey.

Findings

Educational attainment is rising. Young people expect to remain in education post‐16, but leave Ryedale for educational and employment opportunities. Job aspirations suggest mismatches between requirements and availability, especially in skilled professional, associate professional and technical fields. Ryedale is increasingly perceived as a pleasant, secure environment; many wish to stay or return eventually.

Research limitations/implications

The surveys feature Year 11 pupils. Further work might examine different age groups, areas and factors encouraging young people to stay in rural areas.

Practical implications

The SRB 5 projects produced positive impacts, however, scope remains for greater representation of young peoples' needs and inputs into local services and decision‐making.

Originality/value

The paper offers a temporal comparison of surveys and projects related to young people in a rural area. It is of value to policy‐makers and educationalists examining young peoples' perceptions and out‐migration influences.

Citation

Henderson, R. (2005), "Education, training and rural living: young people in Ryedale", Education + Training, Vol. 47 No. 3, pp. 183-201. https://doi.org/10.1108/00400910510592239