Further education, work-based learning and community learning in Wales statistics: 2005/06

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.

Further education institutions

• 245,065 learners were enrolled at 25 further education 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 25
  • 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 further education institutions but taught by LEA staff.
• 9.6 per cent of learners were under the age of 25 and 29 per cent were aged 60 and over.

Work-based learning (WBL)

• 69,080 distinct learners pursued work-based learning with providers (including further education institutions) receiving funding from ELWa in 2005/06.
• The number of distinct learners on work-based learning programmes has increased by 21 per cent between July 2004 and July 2006.
• 54 per cent of WBL learners were under the age of 25 on 31 August 2005; 2.6 per cent were of a non-white ethnic origin and 5 per cent had a disability.

The numbers of learners in further education, LEA community learning and work-based learning above should not be summed together directly owing to overlaps in definitions of their respective cohorts, as described in the text. The total number of distinct learners across the three sectors in 2005/06 was 311,145 as quoted in the Welsh Assembly Government’s Statistical First Release SDR 53/2007.