South West Regional Skills Enterprise and Employment Analysis 2007/2008
Final Report
4.13 Participation and provision
4.13.3 16-18 participation
The LSC Strategic Analysis shows that the proportion of the South West student population enrolled on Work-based Learning (WBL), FE, independent schools, maintained schools and sixth form college provision has remained relatively static over the past five years. However, learning participation rates of 16 and 17 year olds between 2002 and 2004 in the South West have fallen to 80%(58). This reduction may present problems in meeting the Government’s target of 90% for 17 year olds by 2015.
Whilst the participation rates are comparable to England as a whole, the balance of provision is slightly different. The South West has a lower proportion enrolled in Sixth Form Colleges, but a relatively higher percentage of FE students.
The range of government initiatives aimed at promoting vocational training through WBL appears to have had little impact in terms of the participation rates of 16 and 17 year olds in the South West over the past five years. In fact, the number of students enrolled on WBL provision has dropped from 10,700 in 2000 to 10,400 in 2004.
Participation of LSC-funded learners aged 16-18 has increased slightly in the year to 2005-6. So whilst the proportion of 16-17 years olds participating in LSC provision has fallen, the actual numbers have increased, see Table 12 below.
Table 12: South West Learner Numbers
| 2003/04 | 2004/05 | 2005/06 | 2006/07 | |
| FE | 64,323 | 68,095 | 68,360 | 69,971 |
| WBL | 15,427 | 14,275 | 13,778 | 13,134 |
| E2E | 4,946 | 3,992 | 3,943 | 2,825 |
| S6F | 36,574 | 37,796 | 38,734 | 39,444 |
| Total | 12,1270 | 124,158 | 124,815 | 125,374 |
Source: LSC
Figure 12: Participation in education and work-based learning, England, 2000-2004 (Click image to open in new window)
Source DfES website - Participation in education and work based learning (WBL) of 16 and 17 year olds.
Some factors which account for the decline in learning participation include:
- Growth in the number of Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEETs);
- Growth in the number of young people in jobs without training;
- Apprenticeships are not gaining popularity and the South West has many small employers who are less likely to take apprentices.
Conclusions
The decline in participation of 16-18 years olds in learning is a concern. Unemployment is also highest amongst this group.
(58) Participation includes FE, WBL, Sixth Form, Independent Schools and Maintained schools (both full and part-time)
