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26677-LSC Needs A'ment Cvrs 11.11.02 03.52 pm Page 1 PHOTO REDACTED DUE TO THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR OTHER LEGAL ISSUES Learning and Skills Council London West Learning and Skills Council Needs Assessment 2002 London West Helping to change lives through learning in Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon and Hounslow Needs Assessment 2002 15-21 Staines Road Hounslow Middlesex TW3 3HA Switchboard: 0845 019 4164 Fax: 020 8929 8403 Website: www.westlondon.com/researchcentre E-mail: [email protected] © December 2002 London West LSC Ref. 159/10/02 26677-LSC Need A'ment 001-020 15/11/02 9:46 am Page 1 The London West Needs Assessment Contents Introduction 2 Executive Summary 4 THE POPULATION OF LONDON WEST The Population of London West 11 KEY LEARNERS Young People 17 Adults 33 Basic Skills 39 People with Disabilities 41 Unemployed People 47 KEY COMMUNITIES Ethnic Minority Communities 56 Refugees and Asylum Seekers 64 POST-16 LEARNING IN LONDON WEST Education Participation and Performance 68 Further Education 72 LSDA/FDS Survey of Learners and Learning Provision 76 Travel to Study 83 Work-based Learning 93 THE LONDON WEST ECONOMY The London West Economy 96 Investors in People Accreditations in London West 101 APPENDICES Appendix 1 - London West Schools 103 Appendix 2 - FE and HE Colleges in the London West Area 119 Appendix 3 - London West LSC Training Providers 130 Appendix 4 - Adult and Community Education in London West 141 Appendix 5 - Information Sources for the Needs Assessment 162 London West LSC Needs Assessment 1 26677-LSC Need A'ment 001-020 15/11/02 9:46 am Page 2 Introduction In 2001, the national Learning and Skills Council and the 47 local councils were given responsibility for planning and funding all post-16 maintained learning provision across England, with the exception of schools and higher education. From April 2002, this remit was extended to cover school sixth forms. The legislation had created, in effect, the largest non-departmental public body in the country. As one of the 47 local “arms” of the national body, London West Learning and Skills Council (LSC) funds education and training in the six west London boroughs of Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon and Hounslow. The appendices show that this is a large, diverse and multi-cultural sub-region of the Capital, with a myriad of training providers and educational establishments. HARROW BRENT HILLINGDON EALING HAMMERSMITH & FULHAM HOUNSLOW In order to ensure that the learners and employers of London West have access to the most appropriate and effective provision, we have adopted a virtuous circle of planning and funding. This is outlined in the local strategic plan and comprises: • an analysis of learning needs; • production of plans to meet those needs; • contracting with local providers to deliver the education and training; and • monitoring and improving the quality of that provision. The importance of that first stage in the process should not be understated. Without a detailed knowledge of the needs and requirements of local residents and employers, London West LSC would be unable to deploy its funds in ways which encourage learning and assist economic growth. This Needs Assessment is both the driver of planning and funding and a monitor of current provision. Last year, we carried out our first Needs Assessment. This was very much a “snapshot” of the six boroughs although it did identify gaps in knowledge which the 2 London West LSC Needs Assessment 26677-LSC Need A'ment 001-020 15/11/02 9:46 am Page 3 Council has gone on, subsequently, to bridge. In its second year, the Needs Assessment is in a position to consider education and training provision in greater depth, analyse trends and relate that information back to the strategic plan. This will present a more rounded picture for partners and stakeholders and construct a firmer basis for action proposed in the plan. As in the 2001 Assessment, this report utilises the most recent data from a variety of local and national sources; details are given in the text. In most cases, it retains the previous format. This will promote consistency and help with comparisons. The three main sections are: • the population of London West; • post-16 learning in the area; and • the economy and industries. There is a greater focus on adult education - one of the priority groups - and new separate sections on schools and key skills. We also summarise some research commissioned by London West LSC from the Learning and Skills Development Agency (LSDA) and an independent market research company, FDS International. This research looked at learning provision in the region and reflected on its efficacy through a series of surveys and focus groups. This Needs Assessment will continue to identify gaps, shortages and barriers to learning that allow the Council to plan and fund suitable learning provision. Perhaps more than last year, it will consider, in greater detail, achievements against targets, as well as continuing to gather the vital baseline data that inform our funding programmes. This signposting should enable the Council to direct provision more sensitively and accurately to those learners and employers that can make a real difference to the many communities of London West. Of course, the Needs Assessment is only a small part of the research that is undertaken both across London and nationally by the Learning and Skills Council and its partners. London West LSC will try to make sure that this vast body of research is properly co-ordinated and disseminated. By doing this, we hope that the outcomes can be used to support the key aims of the LSC agenda and enhance the position of learners and learning provision across London and, in particular, the six boroughs that make up London West. London West LSC Needs Assessment 3 26677-LSC Need A'ment 001-020 15/11/02 9:46 am Page 4 Executive Summary The Needs Assessment in Context It is a testament to rapid change in an advanced economy of the 21st century that so much has happened in the short time since the Learning and Skills Council began its work on 1 April 2001. This pace of change has been reflected in the challenges facing the London West Learning and Skills Council. The following pages present a detailed picture of the economy and the communities that make up London West, with a particular focus on learners and learning provision. In this Executive Summary, we try to distil a vast amount of information into a representation of the six boroughs that is both manageable and meaningful. We outline the changes that have taken place since the last Needs Assessment and consider their impact on the businesses and residents of London West. Finally, we attempt to draw inferences from those findings and give pointers for the future planning and operation of London West LSC. It is a big task but one that is integral to the provision of learning and skills for a population of nearly one and a half million people. Forever Changes In terms of the economy, the downturn in trade and tourism following the attack on the World Trade Center in September 2001 lasted for a shorter period than was first feared but had a detrimental effect on employment in London. The business world was further shaken by a series of scandals involving some of the world’s largest organisations such as Enron and WorldCom. The fallout from these disgraced employers has undermined business confidence around the globe and, with the spread of multinational employers in London West, could yet affect our own economic performance. Closer to home, the Government finally gave the go-ahead for Terminal Five at Heathrow, bringing the possibility of many more jobs and industries moving into the region. In addition, the future for Wembley was finally secured, as plans for a new national stadium are now going ahead. The Mayor of London produced his “London Plan”, setting out a vision for the social, economic and environmental future of the Capital. This predicted faster economic growth for London than for the UK as a whole, providing an additional 636,000 jobs by 2016. Moreover, the profile of the London’s residents is forecast to change, with significant increases in the 15-29 and 45-59 age groups. Numbers from ethnic communities are expected to continue rising: 80% of the growth in the working age population could come from Black and ethnic communities, according to the Plan. This will have a substantial impact on London West which, traditionally, has had a high ethnic population. More than a third of our existing residents are classed as Non-white. The education sector continued to experience a mass of new initiatives. In February, the Government produced its blueprint for the 14-19 year olds. This envisaged further specialisation of education providers and the extension of work-related learning. The statement from the Government following the Chancellor’s comprehensive spending announcement built on this approach, with a strategy to create more academies, advanced schools and specialist schools by 2006. The London West area has 13 beacon schools and three projected city academies. Also, in April 2002, the Learning and Skills Council was given responsibility for funding all school sixth forms although funds were to be routed via the LEAs. This gave London West LSC a financial obligation for an additional 55 educational establishments covering some 11,000 students across the six boroughs. 4 London West LSC Needs Assessment 26677-LSC Need A'ment 001-020 15/11/02 9:46 am Page 5 In January 2002, a successful merger took place between the former Ealing Tertiary College and Hammersmith and West London College, forming a new institution of Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College.