Retail sector employs more Guernsey school leavers

Two new supermarkets have boosted job opportunities for school leavers on Guernsey.

The jobs at the Waitrose stores led to the retail sector becoming the biggest employer of school leavers on the island, taking on 20% of under-19s.

The figures also show the finance industry, which was the top employer in 2010, dropped from 23% to 15%.

Alun Williams, from the Careers Service, said more than 200 employers had taken on school leavers.

A total of 308 students started work in 2011, while about 100 were not in education, employment or training.

Mr Williams said that 35% of Year 13 students had gone on to university, while 6% had opted for a gap year.

The majority of those that went to university chose institutions on the south coast of the UK.