Home > News > December 2007 > 19 December 2007

Participation rates up says LSC

The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) says its latest figures show a marked increase in participation rates for both young people and adults in further education and work based learning.

These are courses that aim to equip individuals with skills for employment and further learning such as Skills for Life, full Level 2 and 3 qualifications and apprenticeships.

According to the LSC's figures (for England):

* The number of young people in FE funded learning by the LSC is higher than ever before at approximately 753,000

* There was a 3.3 per cent increase in the number of young people participating in full level 3 programmes (367,000) and a 1.9 per cent increase in the number of young people participating on full Level 2 programmes (314,000 learners)

* There was an increase of 41.6 per cent in the number of adults undertaking full Level 2 programmes

* 350,900 adults enrolled on Skills for Life programmes during 2007/06, an increase of 15 per cent

* There were an extra 10,000 apprenticeship starts during 2006/07

* Approximately 220,000 learners enrolled on Train to Gain

The LSC says its focus remains on apprenticeships, Train to Gain, Skills for Life, level 2 and level 3 qualifications. As outlined in the recently published LSC Grant Letter for 2008-09, the LSC says it will continue to increase funding in these priority areas for adults, spending approximately £2 billion of its £3.2 billion adult participation budget on full level 2, full level 3 and Skills for Life in 2008/09 and £6.4 billion on young people's learning.

Mark Haysom, chief executive of the LSC said: "I am pleased with the figures, they show that more young people are engaging in learning than ever before. It is vital that every young person entering the workforce is equipped with the skills they need to fulfil their potential in work and life and this is why the LSC is targeting vulnerable socially excluded learners."

"As part of our service to employers, the introduction of Train to Gain in April 2006 has continued to drive up skills in the workplace and by July 2007 approximately 220,000 learners had enrolled on a Train to Gain programme. These figures support the Government's decision to invest £1 billion in the service by 2010/11."

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Learning and Skills Council

Train to Gain

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