It’s all about change….
With developments in technology, and a growing part-time and older workforce, the world of work is changing. But one aspect that remains unchanged is the number of adults engaged in learning. Stark new figures from NIACE reveal that a third of individuals do not engage in any form of learning and this pattern has been hardened over time. The joint NIACE, UKCES and unionlearn Time for Change seminar set out to tackle these inequalities in learning, and with a captive audience of employers, policy-makers and union representatives, the room was alive with ideas to remedy this. But why is it important for people to work together to increase participation in adult learning?
Fiona Aldridge from NIACE presented findings from their 2012 Adult Participation in Learning Survey. For me it was clear that while learning is personal choice, many adults have little choice, as their findings show that 39% of adults would be more likely to take up learning if it took place at a convenient location. Similarly, some adults would be encouraged to learn with the support of either their employer (20%) or from another individual (11%). This sheds light on the challenges to learning from an individual perspective.
But what about employers? Learning at work is one of the key ways for individuals to develop themselves. Caroline Berry from UKCES presented new findings from the UK Commission’s Employer Skills Survey. This showed that while employers in the UK are spending £49 billion on training, much of it is indirect costs, like the set up costs of putting training into action, fees for training providers etc. Similarly, training levels vary by a number of factors such as location, size of firm, occupation and by sector. Caroline advocated the need for a new approach to help employers invest in skills, which allows them to focus on the direct training costs and subsequently reap the benefits it can bring.
So what kind of action can be taken to help individuals and employers? First it’s important to recognise the work being done already. Judith Swift from unionlearn described the work of Union Learning Representatives reaching out to disadvantaged groups in need of support in their learning. Also Frances Graham from Workbase outlined the hard work carried out by Workplace Learning Advocates who engage with non-unionised workplaces and encourage peer support in learning – at present they have 150 employers on board from an array of sectors and size bands.
From the group sessions at the seminar, there were many ideas to put in action. It was clear there was a theme around recognising that ‘employers’ are individuals too, and promoting a strong organisational culture from this angle to bring benefits to all. Furthermore, while it is important to provide individual support, large firms that do engage in learning activities need to be encouraged to work with other businesses in their area, industry or supply chain to support businesses in need of help.
As I said at the beginning, things are changing. And by using research to unearth disparities in learning activity, harnessing good practice and turning ideas into action, we can make sure that adult learning participation can change for the better.
Rachel Pinto has worked at the UK Commission for Employment and Skills for two years. Prior to this she worked in crime and policing statistics at the Home Office, and in family legal aid policy at the Legal Services Commission. While at the UK Commission, Rachel has managed a research project looking at the impact of student and migrant employment on the opportunities available to low skilled people, and edited sector skills insights reports on the Digital & Creative and Education sectors. She is currently working on the UK Commission’s Employer Skills Survey.
