ADULTS living in York have higher qualifications than the average across York and North Yorkshire.

Almost one-in-four are qualified to NVQ level four or above, compared to an average of just over one-in-five elsewhere in the area.

They are also less likely to have no qualifications than the area average.

Only 24.6 per cent of York residents aged between 16 and 74 are unqualified, compared with an average of 26 per cent throughout York and North Yorkshire.

These are only two of a comprehensive range of figures included in a new fact sheet about the York district, prepared by the Learning And Skills Council North Yorkshire as part of its planning to ensure that the provision of learning opportunities and development of skills in York and North Yorkshire meets local needs.

The proportion of adults who have undertaken no learning in the last three years is also lower.

Forty per cent of those questioned said they had not done any learning, compared with the York and North Yorkshire average of 43 per cent.

The York economy is widely recognised to be performing well, with tourism strong and growing, and food and the bioscience industries established as major economic forces in both the City of York and beyond.

Key findings published in the fact sheet show that the total number of employed jobs has gone up by more than nine per cent over the last four years, although this figure is due to be revised at the end of this year.

Twenty-eight per cent of employed jobs are in public administration, education and health, with a further 25 per cent in distribution, hotels and restaurants. Only nine per cent are in manufacturing.

On training and education needs, the fact sheet says that 15 per cent of employers in the York district identified skills gaps in their current workforce, mainly linked to ICT, customer service skills and general communication skills. Nine per cent of employers also encountered difficulty in retaining staff in craft and related areas.

The information gathered for the fact sheets will provide a vital basis for future planning - not just for the LSC, but for many other local organisations.

Caroline O'Neill, director of planning and communications at the LSC North Yorkshire said: "This kind of baseline data is vital in helping us to build a clear understanding of the eight districts within York and North Yorkshire - each of which has very distinct needs in terms of training and education.

"There is no 'one-size fits all' approach to planning and delivering the skills needs for the future and this level of detail will provide an invaluable resource to anyone wanting to gain a real understanding of the opportunities and issues facing a particular area."

Fact sheets have been produced not only on York, but also Harrogate, Ryedale, Scarborough, Selby, Craven, Hambleton, and Richmondshire.

Updated: 11:11 Friday, December 19, 2003