MORE adults in the Hambleton area are qualified to NVQ Level Four or its equivalent than anywhere else in North Yorkshire, figures reveal.

Some 23.7 per cent have such a qualification - compared to an average of 21.6 per cent across the county as a whole.

That is one of a comprehensive range of figures included in a new factsheet about the district, prepared by the Learning and Skills Council North Yorkshire.

The document has been prepared as part of planning to ensure that the provision of learning opportunities and development of skills in York and North Yorkshire meets local needs.

It shows there is a slightly lower proportion of adults with no qualifications in Hambleton than other parts of the county and 16 per cent of employed adults in the district work in managerial jobs.

Other key findings show that the number of jobs has gone up by 8.1 per cent over the past four years, and almost 15 per cent of those working work fully or mainly from home.

In addition, about four per cent of employers in Hambleton had experienced particular difficulty in retaining staff in certain jobs.

The council's director of planning, Caroline O'Neill, 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."

Factsheets have been produced on the following districts - Craven, Hambleton, Harrogate, Richmondshire, Ryedale, Scarborough, Selby, and York - and can be found on the web at www.lsc.gov.uk/ northyorkshire