A-level results show young people are on the right track but they need to be provided with opportunities

The rise in the proportion of A-level entries awarded top grades for a third year in a row is undoubtedly to be celebrated. As is the popularity of maths.

More than a quarter, 28.5 per cent, of UK entries were awarded an A or A* grade.

The percentage of A-level entries awarded the top grade of A* in Yorkshire rose from 7.7 per cent in 2025 to 7.9 per cent this year. It is a marked improvement on the results from prior to the pandemic.

It is a testament to the hard work of the students who sat the exams this year and the teachers who helped guide them to success.

These results suggest that there are more young people doing the right things required for the best possible start in life.

The long standing challenge that Britain has faced has been developing the next generation of talent in STEM industries. A skills gap has held back the country’s productivity. As today’s economic figures show, Britain needs to gear up its output.

Sir Ian Bauckham, the head of exams regulator Ofqual, says it was “plausible to suggest” that job prospects are influencing the choices students make in terms of what they study. With students opting for subjects that have a strong vocational slant or proven to be linked to higher earning potential.

Given the rising number of NEETS (Not in Education, Employment, or Training), it is important that these young people are not let down. The aptitude and attitude is there, it must now be met with opportunity. Industry leaders and the Government must now ensure that these students are given a chance to develop their skills, either through in-work opportunities or through higher education.

Those that didn’t do as well as expected must not despair and should certainly not be written off. If anything it can be the making of them if they can find their way in the world.