EXCELLENT schools and colleges and work-based training have put young people in Dorset well ahead of the qualifications race compared to the rest of the country.

National targets of the numbers of young people gaining a level-two qualification have nearly been reached in the county, a full three years before the deadline date.

But the boss of the regional Learning and Skills Council, Trish Taylor, is keen to warn local education providers not to be complacent, and says that IT training is still one area that needs urgent attention.

"IT training is what you could call our Holy Grail for the next ten years," said Mrs Taylor, executive director of the LSC.

"We need to make sure that we have a workforce that is IT literate and able to adapt to the changing needs of industry."

The national target set by the government is 85 per cent of young people achieving a level-two qualification by 2004. This is the equivalent of a GCSE grade A to C.

Already in Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset 80 per cent of young people are at this qualification stage. The national average is 75 per cent of youngsters.

"We are very fortunate to have outstanding schools locally," said Mrs Taylor. "Our colleges and local work-based training have also won prizes, and we are now working with the lifelong learning partnership to identify challenges for our area."