Education Minister Paul Givan believes Northern Ireland remains “a very attractive place to live and work” for young people.
He was speaking as thousands of students received their AS and A-level results today.
Last year, a study from think tank Pivotal found that just over half of local young people (54.8%) see a good future for themselves in Northern Ireland, with 41.8% saying they plan to leave to find work or for further study elsewhere.
But Mr Givan believes the trend of uprooting is turning.
“There’s some evidence that there are more people now wanting to stay in Northern Ireland. And I want the best to stay,” he said.
“Some will move because they want to live away and experience life outside of NI. I hope to get those people back again.
“That’s perfectly understandable, if people want to have a broader perspective in terms of their life experiences, but we want to make sure that we have the courses and spaces available in our universities so that those who want to stay can stay and access university.
“We continue to provide fees at a much greater reduced level in comparison to other parts of the United Kingdom.
“That helps to attract people, but obviously careers are very important. In Northern Ireland, we are now at less than 2% in unemployment levels.
“There are hugely successful companies based here, so we are an attractive place to work, to live, and I think that’s showing in the number of pupils wanting to stay.”
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Mr Givan was speaking at Belfast High School as teenagers received their grades.
The total number of A-level entries in Northern Ireland has remained stable with 32,873 entries this year.
Some 8.2% of entries achieved an A* grade compared to the 8.0% awarded in 2019.
Overall, 98.5% of students in Northern Ireland achieved A*- E grade, similar to 98.4% in 2019.
Mr Givan said that all students can be “immensely proud” of what they have achieved.
“[Results are] now back to where we were in 2019,” he noted.
“We’ve built upon that and now we need to look at what NI needs to do to continue to be the best part of the United Kingdom in terms of our educational results, because that is what has happened today.
“I am incredibly proud that we punch above our weight when it comes to our qualifications — and the results speak to that.”
The minister also believes that the school system is able to make sure children from ethnic minority backgrounds “can feel safe and valued”.
The DUP politician’s comments came after yet another racially motivated hate crime took place in Belfast on Wednesday night. Bricks were thrown at a property in the Lindsay Way area of Donegall Pass, resulting in smashed windows, leaving the resident of the house “shaken up”.
It is the latest in a string of racist incidents to happen in the city over the past fortnight, since an anti-immigration protest in the city centre turned violent on Saturday, August 3.
Mr Givan said: “I’ve been hugely impressed going round schools where we’ve got a lot of diversity in terms of ethnic minorities and newcomers, many different nationalities.
“I see how schools are operating in a way that is integrated and people are very much part of that school community. That comes right from the top, from the leadership of the schools with the teachers, and of course the environment within a school,” he told The Belfast Telegraph.
“I’m confident that within our school system we are able to make sure that everyone can feel safe, valued and very much part of our society.
“That’s what I want as Education Minister. And that’s what I’m seeing whenever I visit all of the schools in Northern Ireland.”