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Some file on this page are PDF files. Minority ethnic groups' participation in learning - analysis from NIACE
Latest analysis of data from the government’s Labour Force Survey (LFS) shows that black and minority ethnic adults and the larger white population participate overall in broadly similar proportions but highlights a dramatically lower level of participation in learning among adults of Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin.
The analysis - Are we closing the gap? to be published for Adult Learners’ Week on Monday 19th May 2008 – shows participation ranged from 38 per cent for Bangladeshi adults to 73 per cent for people describing themselves as being of Black African origin. The figure for the entire population was 62 per cent with dual heritage and Chinese respondents participating at 72 per cent and 66 per cent respectively.
For adults of working age the survey shows a seven per cent participation gap between white adults (71 per cent) and minority ethnic groups (64 per cent). However, the challenge is most striking among Bangladeshi and Pakistani adults running at 40 per cent and 50 per cent respectively. For women the rate is lower still – 34 per cent from Bangladeshi and 42 per cent from Pakistani communities. The report shows, too, that whilst there has been a welcome fall in the number of Bangladeshi adults with no qualifications - from 43 per cent in 2004 to 37 per cent in 2006 - the proportion of Bangladeshi learners taking taught classes has dropped from 66 per cent to 57 per cent over the same period.
Alan Tuckett, Director of NIACE:
“This report shows just how far we still have to travel if the benefits of learning are to be available equally to the full range of communities in the UK. Whilst it shows that participation is buoyant for minority ethnic communities there is significant under-representation among Bangladeshi and Pakistani adults in particular. These groups also include some of the people in greatest poverty. The report shows some narrowing of the participation and achievement gap for younger people. But the gap persists. There is clearly more to do to ensure that everyone gets an equal chance to benefit from and contribute to a learning society.”
Source: NIACE Press Release: "Minority ethnic groups' participation in learning - analysis from NIACE" - [PDF] Released On 16/05/2008
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Survey shows further fall in numbers of adults who learn
There has been a fall of 3 per cent in the number of adults participating in learning in the last year. This is the headline finding of the annual Adult Learners’ Week survey – Counting the cost - published on Wednesday 14th May 2008 by NIACE. The survey shows the proportion of adults currently learning, or having done so in the last 3 years, has fallen from 41% in 2007 to 38% in 2008.
The survey illustrates that the drop in participation has affected some groups disproportionately, notably:
 | C2s’ (skilled manual workers’) learning has fallen from 40 per cent to 33 per cent in a single year, reversing their participation gains of the last ten years; |
| full-time workers’ participation has fallen from 51 per cent in 2006 to 49 per cent last year and to 45 per cent in the current survey |
| part-time workers’ participation fell from 55 per cent in 2006 to 47 per cent in 2007, and just 48 per cent in 2008 (see Table 8); |
| the numbers of 25–34s learning has fallen from 50 per cent to 43 per cent in a single year; |
| no increase in participation at all has been secured over the last ten years for those in socio-economic groups DE, the semi and unskilled workers, unemployed and retired people. |
There is also a sharp drop in the number of adults planning to take up learning in the future (45 per cent in 2006, 43 per cent in 2007 and 36 per cent in 2008) and surprisingly the fall is most dramatic among current learners (88 per cent to 72 per cent).
Alan Tuckett, Director of NIACE, said:
“This survey poses sharp challenges. Its major finding, that participation has fallen among key target groups for the government’s learning and skills strategy, calls into question the balance of current policy instruments. One goal of policy is to engage those who say they have done no learning since school, the findings that over two-thirds of them agree that learning and training can have a positive impact upon their working and family lives yet just 15 per cent plan to get involved shows the size of the task if the Government’s goals are to be realised.”
He continued:
“Despite the real gains of the Skills for Life and Train to Gain Strategies, the very groups identified as key to the achievement of the Skills Strategy and in the Leitch Review are bearing the heaviest burden of the re-balancing of funding. The findings suggest that the price of investment in key groups of adults in workplace learning is being paid for by reduced participation by other adults from exactly the same groups. This is either because other workplace learning opportunities are being offered to those already with higher skills, or because those adults can no longer access public provision they previously chose for themselves.”
He ended:
“Since the object of policy continues to be to secure increased investment by individuals, and employers; as well as the state, the survey suggests the time has come for Government to count the cost, as well as the benefits, of its current policies for adult learning.”
Source: NIACE Press Release: "Survey shows further fall in numbers of adults who learn" - [PDF] Released On 13/05/2008
Related link:
| Counting the cost: NIACE survey on adult participation in learning 2008 |
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Technology and informal learning
The government consultation paper – ‘Informal Learning - shaping the future’ covers a broad spectrum of learning activities including:
structured and unstructured adult learning for enjoyment, personal fulfilment and intellectual, creative and physical stimulation.
Communications technology is given a high profile in the paper so Becta teamed up with NIACE to run a national seminar on the use of technology for informal learning.
This podcast captures some of the thoughts from participants as they emerged from the seminar.
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Listen to the
technology and informal learning podcast here [MP3 - 3MB] (If the podcast does not start playing in your browser, right click and save it onto your computer and then play it back through your usual media player) |
For more information on the debate see the
online seminar
(no need to register, just login as a guest.)
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Young Adult Carers Access to Education and Training
NIACE has received funding from the Elizabeth Nuffield Educational Fund to produce a policy briefing paper to raise awareness of the issues concerning access to education and training for young adult carers in the 16 – 25 age group. We are interested in exploring the educational issues faced by young adult carers as they approach and move beyond the age of 18 and how the transition from school to college or training is managed.
Research on caring by Dearden and Becker at Loughborough University (2000) found that young adult carers aged 16 – 25 were more likely to be: excluded from the labour market because of lack of qualifications; living in poverty and in receipt of benefits; finding it difficult to leave home; and experiencing the negative consequences associated with caring including emotional problems and restrictions on opportunities.
Consultation with young adult carers themselves and the organisations who support them will be key to the success of our research. We are particularly interested in hearing the experiences of:
| ‘invisible’ young adult carers who don’t necessarily identify themselves as being in a caring role, and who are not accessing or receiving support specific to this role; |
| those carers who are siblings of an identified ‘carer’ (most services work with only one young person/young adult in a family); |
| young carers on a waiting list for support from services; |
| those who might not be receiving support because they are 18 and fall between provision for adults and young people; |
| young adults who don’t self-identify as having a caring responsibility. |
We are also interested in finding out if there are particular, or different, issues affecting young female carers and young male carers in this age group.
If you are working with young adult carers, or young adults who may not self-identify as carers who experience particular issues in accessing or remaining in education and training, we would like to hear from you. We would be interested to learn more about the services available to young adult carers and to ensure the voices of young adult carers are represented throughout our project.
If you are interested in helping us with our research, or finding out more about the project, please contact Linda Dixon, Linda.Dixon@niace.org.uk, providing brief details of your provision, and any particular issues you feel should be explored as part of our research, together with your full contact details.
Many thanks for your support.
Linda Dixon, Project Officer, Young Adults Team.
Linda.Dixon@niace.org.uk
Free resources
We would also like to make you aware of a set of free resources (recently developed for Adult Learners’ Week) for organisations wishing to advocate the benefits of learning for carers:
We have some free sets of 6 postcard portraits that tell the story of individual carers and how they have accessed education and training and a free booklet entitled:
Carers: Access to education and training
Information for managers and practitioners working in the post-16 education and
training sector.
If you are interested in receiving a set of resources please contact:
Clare Holland
Administrator, Young Adults Team
E-mail: clare.holland@niace.org.uk
Tel: 0116 2047071
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Adult Learners' Week - a festival that could change your life
The largest festival of learning in the UK is on its way. Adult Learners’ Week - which runs from 17th – 23rd May 2008 and is organised by the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) – is a time when thousands of people consider a return to learning and begin a journey that can completely transform their lives for the better.
This is illustrated perfectly by the Adult Learners’ Week Award winners who are recognised for their remarkable achievements through learning. Their inspirational stories clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of learning as an adult. Some of this year’s awards will be presented to:
| a woman who has gone from GCSE Maths to a first class honours degree in only six years – and now has started a PhD, |
| a former school cleaner who is now a school-teacher, |
| an ex-policeman who had to retire due to two strokes but has now become a qualified gym instructor, |
| a deaf man who has completed his FA coaching qualifications and now coaches the Royal Society for the Deaf Football Team, |
| a 95 year old man who’s learning how to use computers, and |
| a beauty therapist who’s changed careers and is now a car mechanic. |
During last year’s Adult Learners’ Week over 8,000 learning events took place, attracting around 100,000 visitors and participants. Every year adults will get a taste of learning in colleges, shops and supermarkets, factories and businesses, libraries and museums, community and adult education centres.
Some events already organised for this year include, Medieval Martial Arts at Kenilworth Castle, singing, holiday languages, forensic science, Welding for Women, horse riding and family history alongside computers and digital photography, creative writing, architectural drawing, Monks’ Meals and What We Eat Now, taxidermy and improving your maths. The Army are also planning to hold a special event at their base at Basra Air Station in Iraq. Further details of the events on offer are available from the online calendar of events at: www.alw.org.uk/calendar
And this year sees the inaugural Dance Off 2008 with over 100 events due to take place across the country to celebrate Cultural Diversity Weekend. The dances range from ballroom, salsa, belly dance, Jewish wedding dance, American smooth style waltz to Latin cha cha, Argentine tango, rumba, samba and Kathak.
Rachel Thomson, Senior Campaigns Officer at NIACE, said:
“Adult Learners’ Week is the perfect time for you to see the kind of positive impact that learning can have on your life. The remarkable stories of the inspirational learners we celebrate with our awards illustrate just how learning can completely transform your life for the better.”
She ended, “Whatever you want out of life, learning can steer you in the direction you want it to go in. There will be thousands of events taking place across the country and to find out more about what’s on offer where you are during this year’s Adult Learners’ Week, visit our website www.alw.org.uk or call learndirect free on 0800 100 900.”
Source: NIACE Press Release: "Adult Learners' Week - festival that could change your life" - [PDF] Released On 02/05/2008
Related Links:
| Adult Learners' Week Website |
| Download Dance Off 2008 Posters here |
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