Themes and Evidence

Other Evidence - Social Productivity

The effects of adult learning on social and economic outcomes
This review considers research-based evidence on the benefits of adult learning, focussing on both economic and non-economic benefits and quantitative evidence mainly from the UK. Reviewed studies include those on income, employment, health, civic engagement and attitude change, educational progression and intergenerational transmission of adult education.

The Public Value of Adult Learning: Skills and Social Productivity
In this paper, we provide an overview of the findings of the Centre for Research on the Wider Benefits of Learning on the benefits of adult learning. We set out an overview of the conceptual work undertaken, so as to clarify in a single, general framework the mechanisms for achievement of the wider benefits of learning. We describe within this framework the empirical findings on the benefits of adult learning, particularly with respect to adult health. Finally, we set out the possible barriers for why, despite substantial evidence that adult leaning is very important for people’s lives and that the skills people developed through wider forms of educational provision are key for a large number of health and social outcomes, there is not greater investment in adult education.