IMPACT REPORT 2018-2019 INTRODUCTION Learning and Work Institute wants everyone to have This report shows how we have been both making access to good learning and work opportunities to the case for learning and making a difference. This benefit individuals, communities, employers and includes celebrating the best in adult learning society. through Festival of Learning and Adult Learners’ Week; testing new ways to engage adults in learning; We have some of the best education institutions evaluating employment programmes to show what in the world, but participation in lifelong learning works; and building a network to share best practice is falling and unequal. Employment is at a record in helping adults in low paid work to build their high, but there remain stark gaps in employment careers. opportunity across the country and more to do to improve the quality of work. Many of our businesses The future remains uncertain, bringing challenges but lead their fields, but overall productivity is lower than also opportunities. We are proud of the impact we in many comparator countries. have had and look forward to continuing our work in the year ahead. Better access to learning and work can help tackle each of these challenges and is becoming more Maggie Galliers and Stephen Evans important as an aging population, longer working lives and changing economy combine. We also know that learning can improve health, wellbeing, active citizenship and community cohesion. 2 OUR MISSION Our vision is for a prosperous and fair society in which learning and work provide opportunities for everyone to realise their potential and ambitions throughout life. The UK has many strengths, but also shortfalls on too many measures of learning and work compared to other countries. We want to change this: making the case for investment; celebrating the best in learning; helping to improve policy; and testing new approaches to delivering services. 3 3 9 million uber of adults Lowest proportion of adults taking part have low literacy or nueracy in learning since our survey affecting their ability to find work began 20 years ago and access public services Percentage points employment rate gap between 5 million uber of people in disabled non-disabled people LOW £ paid work UK ranking on interediate skills out of 36 OECD countries 4 Our work is focused on six themes: lifelong learning; employment and social MAKING A DIFFERENCE security; essential and life skills; pay, progression and security; apprenticeships and technical education; social justice and inclusion. During 2018/19 our work included: Membership of Skills for Londoners Taskforce London Greater Manchester Employment and Welsh Assembly Economy, Skills Advisory Panel Greater Manchester Infrastructure and Skills West Yorkshire Combined Authority Committee evidence-giving on Future Skills Leeds the role and purpose of Regional Skills Partnerships Cardiff Speaking at events at Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat conferences Brighton, Birmingham and Liverpool 5 OUR YEAR IN NUMBERS 11,200,200 11,32,32 PiecesPieces of media of media coverage coverage in 20119 in 20119 ueruer of LearnWork of LearnWork Titter Titter followers, followers, Week, Week, TES and TES and ews, ews, Channel Channel ews, ews, TitterTitter followers followers up y up y n averagen average of of he ailyhe ailyelegraph, elegraph, he Guardian, he Guardian, inancial inancial ies, ies, he Telegraph,he Telegraph, C astC idlandsast idlands Today, Today, adio adio 1,1001,100 Nottingha,Nottingha, Yorkshire Yorkshire ost andost vening and vening Standard Standard 20002000 accountaccount page page isits isitsper onth per onth 232232,13,13 3030,000,000 inutesinutes of footage of footage iewed iewed on our on our Page viewsPage views channel channel of ourof website our website spikesspikes around aroundYouthYouth pprenticeshippprenticeship ie ie for for pportunitpportunit essay essay collection collection Action, Action, ndexndex launchlaunch skills skills awardaward inners inners the ost the ost iewed iewed reportreport 6 SHAPING POLICY 3 9 million 2030 SKILLS VISION uber of adults Our Time for Action report showed improvements in skills have stalled, meaning the UK is poised to fall further down the international league tables by 2030. We argued a ten-year plan could reverse this declineLowest proportionand give ourof adults taking part have low literacy or nueracy economy a £20 billion per year boost. We launchedin learning the report since our at surveyan event affecting their ability to find work with Rt Hon Robert Halfon MP. began 20 years ago and access public services This skills problem is a social justice issue. Our most disadvantagedPercentage points employment rate individuals pay the highest price for low skills but also have thegap most between 5 million to gain from up-skilling their way out of deprivation. I am very grateful uber of people in to Learning and Work Institute for their longstanding commitment to disabled non-disabled people achieve social justice through education Rt Hon Robert Halfon MP LOW £ paid work UK ranking on interediate skills out of 36 OECD countries 7 EMPLOYMENT AND SKILLS CONVENTIONS We held events in Wales, Scotland and England, bringing together hundreds of people to debate policy with leading politicians and share best practice in helping people improve their employment and skills prospects. Employment and Skills Convention 2018, London 8 APPRENTICESHIPS LIFELONG LEARNING Apprenticeships can be great way for people Our survey showed the proportion of adults taking to combine learning and earning. However, part in learning at its lowest on record. We published our research has highlighted concerns over 20 years of data showing trends over time and how quality and fair access. We brought together access to learning varies by region and nation, age, ideas about where next for apprenticeships, socioeconomic group and more. This was featured in launching a collection of essays from leading the Times Education Supplement (TES) and is helping thinkers at an event in Parliament with MPs, to inform the Government’s approach to its National policymakers, apprentices and stakeholders. Retraining Scheme, including highlighting the importance of inspiring adults to want to take part in learning. 3 3 9 million9 million uber of adults uber of adults 3 9 million uber of adults have low literacy or nueracy Lowest proportion of adults Lowesttaking part proportion of adults taking part have low literacy or nueracy in learning since our survey in learning since our survey affecting their ability to find workaffecting their ability to find work began 20 years ago began 20 years ago and access public services and access public services Lowest proportion of adults taking part have low literacy or nueracy in learning since our survey affecting their ability to find work Rt Hon Robert Halfon MP, Skills Vision 2030 event 9 began 20 years ago and access public services Percentage points Percentage points employment rate employment rate gap between 5 million gap between 5 million uber of people in uber of people in disabled non-disabled people disabled non-disabledPercentage people points employment rate gap between 5 million LOW LOW uber of people in £ paid work disabled non-disabled people £ paid work UK ranking on interediate skillsUK ranking on interediate skills out of 36 OECD countries out of 36 OECD countries LOW £ paid work UK ranking on interediate skills out of 36 OECD countries CONSULTATIONS AND LOCAL LEADERSHIP EVENTS Local and mayoral combined authorities play an increasing role in employment and skills. Our chief We submitted responses to government executive was a member of the Skills for Londoners consultations and reviews, including the Taskforce, Greater Manchester Employment and post-18 review of education funding. We Skills Advisory Panel and West Yorkshire Combined were pleased the review agreed there Authority Future Skills Taskforce, helping to shape their should be greater funding for adults. approaches to lifelong learning and employment. Our chief executive gave evidence to the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee on the economics of further and higher education and spoke at events at the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat party conferences. He was also a member of the Liberal Democrat Lifelong Learning Commission. This Greater Manchester supported our calls for adults to have a Employment and Skills Advisory Panel West Yorkshire Combined Personal Learning Account, now adopted Authority Future Skills as Liberal Democrat policy. Taskforce Skills for Londoners Taskforce 10 INSPIRING ADULTS TO LEARN Festival of Learning in England and Adult Learners’ Week in The Festival of Learning Wales have celebrated the best in adult learning and inspired awards ceremony was attended by people to learn for more than a quarter of a century. Replicated guests around the world, they celebrate people’s achievements 120 through learning and inspire more adults to learn. with an additional We worked with organisations, including Adult Learning views Wales, AELP, Association of Colleges, City Lit, Colleges Wales, 900 Education and Training Foundation, HOLEX, Hotcourses Ltd, NOCN, Open University in Wales, the WEA and Working Wales. Our hashtag #folawards achieved 1.7million impressions Award winner stories received widespread press and media coverage, including in the Evening award winners across Standard and Daily Mail and England and Wales. interviews on BBC Radio 2 and 4. NEWS NEWS 11 Around 130 guests