South West Regional Skills Enterprise and Employment Analysis 2007/2008

Final Report

4.13 Participation and provision

4.13.9 Adults – participation in learning

The South West is a reasonably ‘well-qualified’ region and this, in part, is the result of its pattern of learning. In the last three years, almost half of all 16-69 year olds participated in taught learning, a participation rate that is second highest across the nine English regions

Reflecting a similar pattern in other regions, the South West’s participation rate has decreased by 1% over the last year. Across the LSC areas, Somerset, Cornwall and Bristol’s participation in learning rate is also significantly lower than that for the South West as a whole.

Figure 16: Adult (16-69) participation in taught learning, 2004-2005, percentages (click image to open in new window)

Source: Qualifications and Participation in Learning at a local level: England 2005, DfES August 2006

Participation in learning has a number of variables:

• Women are more likely than men to be participating in learning;
• Socio-economic class is a key determinant of participation with those in the highest around twice as likely to be learning than those in the lowest;
• Workers and the unemployed are more likely to be learning than those not in paid employment and the retired;
• The older people are, the less likely they are to participate in learning;
• Those who leave school at the earliest opportunity are less likely to participate than those who stay on.

The South West has historically had a slightly larger proportion of adult learning than is the national average: over the last three years the margin has remained constant. Almost half of all adults (47%) who have left full time education say that they are likely to take up learning in the next three years; 50% are unlikely to do so(68).

Train to Gain

This new national programme for adult learners delivers training to meet employer demand. The former National Employer Training Programme (NETP) pilots, whilst differing slightly, led onto Train to Gain from April 2006. The programme was rolled out across the rest of England from August 2006.

Funded by government through the LSC with an investment, nationally, of £230 million in the first year (2006/07), Train to Gain seeks to raise skills levels and the quality of training in businesses across England. This investment will rise to £399 million in subsequent years. Within the South West the budget for provision in year 1 is £13 million with an additional £2.7 million for brokerage in year one. Over 40 brokers are operating in the region.

Train to Gain funding is available to training providers on a contestable basis, based on providers’ ability to deliver high quality, flexible training to employers and employees. Providers were invited to tender to deliver funded Train to Gain training provision.

By November 2006, the national LSC estimated that more than 15,000 employers nationally were now using Train to Gain with an eight-fold increase in the number of employers that have started training since the service was rolled-out across England in August. Train to Gain is also helping more than 50,000 employees to get qualifications. 89% of employers who have used it state that they are satisfied with the service.

The Leitch Report also acknowledged the contribution that Train to Gain is making. It has proposed that government route all public funding for adult vocational skills in England, apart from community learning, through Train to Gain and Learner Accounts by 2010 and to extend Train to Gain to higher levels. The Review also recommends that Train to Gain brokers are tasked to work with a full range of employers while retaining their focus on ‘harder-to-reach’ firms.

With £1 billion committed to Train to Gain until 2010 in this year’s Budget (subject to the 2007-8 spending review), the service is forecast to benefit 33,000 employers in 2006-2007, rising to 53,000 employers in 2007-2008 and in successive years to 2010.

The Train to Gain core offer includes:

• A free Skills Brokerage service targeted at hard-to-reach employers, to source any training provision they need at all levels;
• Training provided by training providers of the employer’s choice;
• Training products for low-skilled employees include:
  Basic Skills programmes
  First Full Level 2 qualifications
• Free training if employees’ first Level 2 qualification;
• Attracts wage compensation if less than 50 staff (awaiting confirmation);
• Training leading to a full Level 3+ qualification and non-qualification-based training (may attract funding, for e.g. apprenticeships and Level 3 jumpers).

As well as the core offer there are flexible (optional) elements which include:

• Leadership and management programme for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) offering formal training and informal support (such as mentoring and coaching) up to £1,000 for Managing Directors and other senior Directors aiming to help up to 17,000 SME managers by 2007–08;
• For the individual - Foundation Degrees, skills coaches and Union Learning Representatives (ULRs), skills passports.

The targets for the region are:

• At least 3,500 employers engaged;
• 53% of employers to be hard-to-reach;
• 16,600 Level 2 starts;
• 4,000 Level 2 qualifications;
• 100% of brokers achieving the new standard within 12 months;
• Cumulative 80% employer satisfaction.

19-25 Level 3 Entitlement

As an extension to the Level 2 entitlement, young people aged 19-25 without a Level 3 are being offered an entitlement to free education and training. Approximately 45% of 20-24 year olds are not qualified to Level 3. This equates to approximately 133,000 young people aged 20-24 (or about 186,000 young people aged 19-25).

Adult Apprenticeships

Adult apprenticeships are a new policy initiative for 2007-8. The LSC, in response to requests from SSCs, has been conducting trials of Apprenticeships for Adults in four sectors: construction, health and social care, engineering and IT. The trials have shown that there is need for apprenticeships for adults for three key groups:

• Those without work who are seeking to develop the skills needed to enter a new career, including those on incapacity benefit;
• Those in employment who have existing skills but whose lack of formal qualifications is restricting their career progression;
• Women who are seeking to enter the workforce after the age of 25.

Apprenticeship for Adults has two main aims:

• Moving those without work into sustainable employment; and
• Increasing the productive skills of those already in the workforce.

Funding is being extended to include adults over the age of 25 who wish to follow a full apprenticeship programme and will prioritise the following groups of learners:

• Those without employment; including those on incapacity benefit, who are seeking to train or retrain in order to enter long-term employment;
• Individuals who are seeking to enter an atypical career i.e. women and/or ethnic minorities;
• Adults working within sectors that have been identified as local, regional or national priorities, who have existing skills but have skills or knowledge gaps and who lack formal qualifications for these skills, including those who wish to complete an Apprenticeship having achieved their NVQ 2 or 3 through Train to Gain.

(68) NIACE, 2005