Further Education, Work-Based Learning and Community Learning in Wales Statistics: 2005/06 (a)(b)

The publication 'Further Education, Work-Based Learning and Community Learning in Wales Statistics: 2005/06' is the third in a series providing statistics about the post-16 learning sector (excluding higher education institutions and sixth forms) in Wales.

In 2003/04 a new data collection system known as the Lifelong Learning Wales Record (LLWR) was introduced with the aim of collecting consistent and comparable data across the post-16 learning sector.  In its first year of operation, the LLWR collected data from Further Education and Community Learning providers.  Work-based Learning providers were also included from 2004/05.  The LLWR data were extracted from the post-16 database on 12 March 2007.

Key results for 2005/06 are:

Further Education institutions

• 245,065 learners were enrolled at twenty five FE institutions during the 2005/06 academic year, an increase of 2.5 per cent on 2004/05.
• 12,345 of them were pursuing work-based learning programmes.
• The characteristics of students in Welsh further education institutions were:
  35 per cent under the age of twenty five;
  96 per cent primarily domiciled in Wales; 24 per cent of these were domiciled in areas designated as deprived;
  4 per cent of a non-white ethnic origin;
  8 per cent with a disability.

LEA Community learning

• There were 54,485 learners (down 4 per cent on the previous year) undertaking LEA Community Learning activities in 2005/06, including 41 per cent enrolled with LEAs and 59 per cent enrolled at FE institutions but taught by LEA staff.
• 9.6 per cent of learners were under the age of twenty five and 29 per cent were aged 60 and over.

Work-based learning

• 69,080 distinct learners pursued work-based learning (WBL) with providers (including FE institutions) receiving funding from ELWa in 2005/06.
• The number of distinct learners on WBL programmes has increased by 21 per cent between July 2004 and July 2006.
• 54 per cent of WBL learners were under the age of twenty five on 31 August 2005; 2.6 per cent were of a non-white ethnic origin and 5 per cent had a disability.

(a) The figures in these Headline Statistics may differ from those appearing in other publications in line with the definitions used.

(b) The numbers of learners in Further Education, Community Learning and Work-based learning should not be summed together owing to overlaps in definitions of cohorts.

Contact:
Tel: 029 2092 6041
E-mail: analysisdells@wales.gsi.gov.uk 

Further Information:
The statistics in this volume complement the Welsh Assembly Government's Statistical First Release SDR 53/2007 on the 2005/06 post-16 learning sector and summary data available via the StatsWales website.

Next Update:
December 2008 (provisional - to be confirmed on the Due Out Soon page)