SDLP Foyle MLA Sinead McLaughlin
But areas West of the Bann have some of the highest proportions of adults with no qualifications, analysis of official statistics reveals.
Almost half the adult population of West Tyrone – 48% – have no qualifications.
Other areas with a high proportion of adults without qualifications at level 1 or above include Mid-Ulster (46%); Fermanagh and South Tyrone (45%); Upper Bann (45%); and Newry and Armagh (45%).
SDLP economy spokesperson and Foyle MLA Sinead McLaughlin said: “The statistical breakdown of Northern Ireland’s distribution of qualifications demonstrates the concentration of higher levels of skills in the East, and the concentration of people with lower qualification levels in both the West and in the most deprived parts of Belfast.
“Breaking out from this historic legacy of under-investment in skills that traps people in low incomes and joblessness must be one of the major priorities for Northern Ireland going forward, including in the Budget that the Executive and Assembly will soon consider.
“The SDLP wants to see prosperity spread across the whole of Northern Ireland, with everyone given a decent and fair chance of success.
“That opportunity is denied to people without sufficient skills, which is unacceptable when it means the place where they were born helps to determine their life chances.
“We are determined to extend the opportunities for work and life chances, with much greater investment in vocational training and in higher and further education, especially in the areas of highest deprivation.”
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