MORE teenagers are staying in full-time education in Oxfordshire than elsewhere in the country due to a lack of jobs in the recession.

According to the Department for Children, Schools and Families, the proportion of 16 and 17-year-olds who continue in full or part-time education or work-based learning in the county, is consistently higher than the national and South East of England averages.

And the principal of Oxford & Cherwell Valley College, which educates about 3,000 16 to 19-year-olds, said that the number of applications for next year’s courses had soared by about 40 per cent.

Sally Dicketts said: “The college has gained students year on year since its formation five years ago.

“I think so many in the county stay in school partly because of the emphasis on the need for qualifications, and partly because a lot of local jobs for 16-year-olds are at a quite low level.

“Young people want to do something meaningful and increasingly, recognise the need for qualifications.”

Figures show that every year, as far back as 2003, more pupils from Oxfordshire than elsewhere else stayed in school.

Ms Dicketts said a lot of work had been carried out in deprived areas such as Blackbird Leys and Banbury, to raise the aspirations of young people.

She said: “The local authority, under the new head of children’s services, has been active in encouraging us all to engage with young people.”

She said the jump in applications for next year was partly linked to the economic situation, and said that apprenticeships in tandem with a college offered more stability – with the college helping to find alternative placements when young people were made redundant.

Ms Dicketts added: “We have seen a lot of redundancies in Oxfordshire, so young people are doing training to gain the qualification, skills and experience to move on.”

Janet Tomlinson, Oxfordshire County Council’s director for children, young people and families, said: “The percentage of pupils continuing their education in Oxfordshire has been consistently above the average figure for the South East in recent years.

“For most young people, staying in education is key to fulfilling their potential.”