The bar chart illustrates the options of 1,000 young people after completing their schooling over a five-year period from 2008 to 2012.
Overall, it is clear that while searching for employment was the most popular option for school leavers, going to university became the dominant choice by the end of the period. On the other hand, taking a temporary break from education remained the least preferred option throughout the entire period.
In 2008, the majority of graduates chose to look for work, peaking at exactly 500 individuals, while only 300 opted for university. However, over the following years, these numbers reversed. The number of school leavers entering university climbed steadily, reaching a peak of 400 in 2010, and remained relatively stable finishing at 300 in 2012. In contrast, the number of students looking for job dropped significantly to roughly 315 by 2011, before experiencing a minor recovery to under 400 in the final year.
The figure for young people taking a gap period from education started as the lowest category in 2008 at 200. This option experienced a gradual but steady increase over the next three years, rising to nearly 300 in 2011. By 2012, it saw a slight additional increase, peaking at approximately 320 individuals.