The subsections of this article describe the main types of publicly funded programme for adult learners. A large proportion of these lead to recognised, regulated qualifications. The Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) is fundamental to the organisation of provision. It covers all phases and sectors of education, including adult education.

The RQF assigns levels to qualifications according to their difficulty. Awarding organisations can choose whether or not it is necessary to break their qualifications up into units, and whether these units should bear credit. The level of a qualification is based on the generic knowledge and skills a learner will be able to demonstrate once they have achieved that particular qualification. Qualifications are assigned a level ranging from Entry 1 through to Level 8. The level descriptors associated with each level within the RQF are available in the Ofqual Handbook.

The size of a qualification is expressed in hours and is known as ‘total qualification time’ (TQT). TQT is the estimated number of hours that a learner would typically be expected to take in order to achieve the level of attainment necessary for the award of a particular qualification. TQT includes ‘guided learning hours’ (GLH). This is time when staff are present to give specific guidance on a learning aim being studied. It can include lectures, tutorials and supervised study.

The Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) is the responsibility of Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation, the statutory body responsible for regulating publicly funded qualifications taken outside of higher education, including those taken by adult learners. The RQF replaced the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) on 1 October 2015.

Provision to raise achievement in basic skills 

Maths and Englishcourses are fully-funded up to Level 2 for adults aged 19+ who need them. This policy priority for adult skills is confirmed in the 2019-20 funding letter.

Maths and English courses may be offered by local authorities, further education colleges or voluntary (third) sector and community providers. The intensity and duration of courses vary depending on the particular course studied. There are no academic entry requirements, but prior to starting the course applicants would typically be asked to attend an assessment or interview to ensure that they are placed on the correct level course.

The main courses available to adults in maths and English lead to General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) and/or functional skills qualifications. English and maths are also embedded in traineeships and apprenticeship programmes. The subheading below provides further information on functional skills, while the subheading on ‘Provision to achieve a recognised qualification during adulthood’ provides further information on GCSEs (and A Levels). The subheadings on ‘Provision targeting the transition to the labour market’ and on ‘Other types of publicly subsidised provision for adult learners’ provide further information on traineeships and apprenticeships respectively.

Adult learner participation in English and maths courses has fallen sharply from 1,083,000 in 2011/12 to 664,200 in 2017/18. The 2017/18 figure represents a decrease of 12.1% from the 755,300 reported for 2016/17. The number of learners participating in an English course fell by 16.1% between 2016/17 and 2017/18 to 445,800, and the number of learners participating in a maths course fell by 15.8% between 2016/17 and 2017/18 to 441,500. (Source: Further Education and Skills: November 2018, Main Text, SFR62/2017, page 13.)

the Department for Education introduced a new digital entitlement for adults with no or low digital skills to undertake new improved digital qualifications, up to Level 1, free of charge [3]. These will be based on new national standards which set out the digital skills people need to get on in life and work. 

Functional skills qualifications in English and maths 

Functional skills qualifications assess practical skills in English, maths and information and communications technology (ICT), and are intended to equip learners with the knowledge, skills and understanding necessary for life and work. They are available at Entry Levels 1, 2 and 3, and at Level 1 and Level 2 of the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF). First introduced as part of a pilot programme in 2007, functional skills qualifications are available to learners aged 14 and above. For further information on functional skills qualifications, see the example specifications from the awarding organisations Pearson and OCR.

Reformed qualifications, which include revised subject content for English and maths functional skills, were introduced for teaching from September 2019. The revised content aims to ensure that the qualifications equip students with the skills and knowledge that prepares them for work and life, and aims to improve the recognition and credibility of the qualifications with employers. The qualifications were reformed following consultations launched by the Department for Education (DfE) on subject content and by Ofqual, the qualifications regulator, on revised regulatory requirements in 2017, to which the DfE responded in 2018. Ofqual published the revised requirements in 2018; these aim to increase comparability between the qualifications offered by different awarding organisations and over time, and to ensure greater control of standards.

Historical Note: In 1999, a working group chaired by Sir Claus Moser on behalf of the then Labour Government reported on the scale and causes of poor basic skills among adults in England, and made recommendations for tackling the problem. These recommendations led to the 2001 launch of Skills for Life, the national strategy for improving adult literacy and numeracy skills. The strategy introduced a coherent set of standards for literacy and numeracy, as well as a new system of qualifications to measure achievement against the standards. It was supported by a programme of research that included evaluations of Skills for Life in 2003 and 2011.

The Coalition Government in office from 2010 to 2015 continued to prioritise English and maths for all adults who had not yet reached GCSE standard in these subjects, although Skills for Life did not continue as a distinct strategy. An account of measures taken to raise achievement in basic skills is provided in the Government response to the House of Commons Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee report on adult literacy and numeracy, published in September 2014.

The ongoing need for these efforts was illustrated by England’s relatively poor scores in the 2012 International Survey of Adult Skills, part of the OECD’s Programme for International Assessment of Adult Competences (PIAAC). An analysis of England’s performance in this 2012 survey, which also sets out policy developments between 1996 and 2013 (pages 19-22), is available in this October 2013 government Research Paper.

Provision to achieve a recognised qualification during adulthood 

This section focuses on three types of qualification:

• the general qualifications taken at school that are also available to adult learners - General Certificates of Secondary Education (GCSEs) and A levels
• Access to Higher Education Diplomas which are designed specifically to prepare adult learners for higher education
• vocational qualifications.

GCSEs and A Levels 

General Certificates of Secondary Education (GCSEs) are general qualifications usually taken at around age 16. They are Level 2 qualifications on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF).

A levels are the most common qualifications for entry to higher education. Generally taken at around age 18, they are at Level 3 of the RQF.

These and other qualifications at the same level are available to adult learners as well as to young people. They are fully funded for some adult learners; see the subheading ‘Mechanisms for allocating public funds’ in the article on ‘Adult Education and Training Funding’ for further information.

Programmes are usually available on a part-time basis at further education colleges. Both GCSEs and A levels are single-subject qualifications, available in a range of separate subjects and certificated separately by external awarding organisations. Adults returning to education can therefore build on the qualifications they obtained at school without repeating subjects already successfully completed. Programmes are also available through distance learning.

For more information on regulation, assessment and certification of GCSEs and A levels, see the subheading ‘Certification’ in the articles on ‘Assessment in General Lower Secondary Education’ and ‘Assessment in General Upper Secondary Education’ respectively.

In September 2020, the Prime Minister announced that for adults who do not currently have a Level 3 qualification, the government will fully fund their first full Level 3 (A level equivalent), focusing on the valuable skills that will help them get ahead in the labour market. This offer will be funded through the £2.5 billion National Skills Fund and aligned with existing funding streams. 

This Level 3 adult offer will be targeted on areas with high economic value and the strongest alignment with government priorities, to ensure the best possible returns for individuals, employers, and the nation. The offer will be available from April 2021

In September, the Prime Minister also announced six Skills Bootcamps, which are employer-led, to support local regions and employers to fill in-demand vacancies. The bootcamp training courses will provide valuable skills based on employer demand and are linked to real job opportunities, helping participants to land jobs and employers to fill vacancies. Moreover, from April 2021 £43m will be invested through the National Skills Fund to extend Skills Bootcamps further in 2021, increasing the national coverage of this new offer.

Access to Higher Education Diplomas 

Access to Higher Education Diplomas have the specific aim of preparing adult learners (aged 19+) for higher education (HE). They are designed to meet the needs of those returning to study after some time and who may lack the formal qualifications usually required for HE entry. Most Access to Higher Education Diploma programmes are provided by further education colleges and are designed with the support of higher education institutions (HEIs). Learners can also take Access modules offered by the Open University. Some courses have a specific subject focus, such as Access to HE Diploma (Law), Access to HE Diploma (Nursing and Healthcare Professions), or Access to HE Diploma (Business Studies). Others provide preparation across a wider range of subjects, such as Access to HE Diploma (Social Sciences) or Access to HE Diploma (Combined Sciences). Subject specific content is combined with elements designed to support adult learners. Detailed information is available from the Access to HE website.

National recognition of Access to Higher Education programmes is the responsibility of the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA). The QAA licenses regionally-based access validating agencies (AVAs) to recognise Access to HE programmes and to award the Access to HE Diploma to students. There are 11 AVAs across England and Wales, responsible for the oversight of over 1000 Access to HE courses.

It is the responsibility of the institution providing the course to assess whether the needs and abilities of the student match the aims and demands of the course. The application process may include some or all of the following steps:

• a visit to the college to discuss the course and whether Access to HE is suitable
• an application form
• an interview or audition
• a test to help determine the student’s existing skills.

A typical Access to HE programme takes a year of full-time study. Many programmes are also available on a part-time basis for study over two or more years. There are also courses provided in the evenings or by distance learning.

The Access to HE Diploma is a credit-based, graded qualification with common requirements relating to the award of credit and to the award of grades. A grade of 'pass', 'merit' or 'distinction' is awarded for each unit. It is largely assessed by continuous assessment by the teaching staff delivering the courses. It is widely recognised and accepted by HEIs as a qualification for entry.

Historical Note: Access courses were originally developed in response to an invitation made by the Government in 1978 to selected local education authorities to design courses for students from minority ethnic communities in inner city areas. The initiative was introduced to increase the number of teachers and social workers coming from these communities. Most of these led to single HE courses in specific institutions, and there was no national recognition or portability for the qualifications gained. Since then, more general aims have evolved: targeting the programmes at those groups identified as under-represented in higher education, in particular, disabled learners, the unemployed, women returning to education, minority ethnic groups, and those from socio-economic backgrounds where entry to higher education is not traditional. Access programmes form a strand of the Government strategy for widening participation in higher education. A national framework for Access programmes has been in existence since 1989.

Vocational qualifications 

A vocational qualification is a recognised award designed to provide learners with the knowledge, skills and/or competence directly relevant to a line of work or specific job role.

Vocational qualifications are developed and awarded by a wide range of awarding organisations and are available at many different levels. They are largely unit-and outcomes-based and allow for flexible delivery. Awarding organisations and the qualifications they offer are regulated by Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation.

Vocational education and training is provided largely by further education colleges, but also by higher education institutions and private training institutions. Providers set the entry requirements for courses leading to qualifications. They are also responsible for deciding on teaching methods.

For further information on vocational education, readers are advised to consult the website for UK ReferNet.

For information on the Government’s vocational education reforms, see the subheading ‘Qualifications and programme reform’ in article on ‘Developments and Current Policy Priorities’.

The introduction of T Levels is part of the government’s long term reforms to technical education. They provide an attractive choice available at 16 for young people to choose a technical pathway with high quality options that support their progression and meet the needs of employers.

 Reforms build on the recommendations of the Independent Panel on Technical Education, chaired by Lord Sainsbury, in 2016. They are based around a framework of employer-led occupational standards, grouped across 15 technical sectors or ‘routes’ into skilled employment.

T Levels are new, two-year, level 3, technical study courses that will be available full time in colleges and other further education providers. T Level courses will be classroom based with a substantial industry placement element (around 80% in the classroom and 20% on the placement). The primary purpose of T Levels is to prepare students for entry into skilled employment or higher levels of technical education. T Levels are being rolled out between 2020 and 2023. The first 3 T levels became available in 44 colleges schools and providers in September 2020.

Provision targeting the transition to the labour market 

This section covers the following programmes/schemes:

• employment schemes intended to help benefits claimants return to work
• the Work and Health Programme for the long-term unemployed and members of specified disadvantaged groups
• the Flexible Learning Fund, a pilot scheme to support projects to help adults to learn new skills
• traineeships for young people aged 16-24 to help them access an apprenticeship or employment
• returnships to help people who have had an extended break from employment to return to work.

Employment schemes

There are a number of employment schemes available to people who are unemployed but capable of work and claiming benefits (usually the Jobseeker’s Allowance). These include:

• work experience
• sector-based work academies
• Skills Conditionality.

The schemes are intended to help benefit claimants gain work-related skills and improve employability prospects. Claimants are usually referred to these schemes by Jobcentre Plus, the service provided by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to help them move from benefits to work.

Work experience 

Work experience opportunities have been available since January 2011. The scheme is aimed at 18- to 24-year-olds and people aged 25 and over who don’t have recent work history. Jobcentre Plus works with employers to offer jobseekers a work experience placement lasting two to eight weeks (or longer – up to 3 months in some cases), which usually involves up to 30 hours a week of work. Those on the scheme do not receive a wage but continue to receive benefits and have their travel and childcare costs covered if necessary.

Young people who have spent up to 8 weeks in work experience can have their placement extended by up to 4 weeks in cases where an employer offers to take them on as an apprentice.

Sector-based work academies 

Sector-based work academies are collaborations between Jobcentre Plus, businesses and training providers. Only unemployed people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance, or Employment and Support Allowance (or on Universal Credit, which is replacing these benefits on a phased basis), are eligible to use the academies.

Sector-based work academies can each last up to six weeks and consist of three components:

• pre-employment training in the essential skills of a sector which has local vacancies 
• work experience in a local business in that sector
• a guaranteed interview for a job vacancy at the same local business.

Provision is based around actual job vacancies. Whilst engaged in the academies, individuals may continue to claim benefits. Their decision to participate is voluntary, but attendance becomes mandatory once a benefit claimant has accepted a place. The job interview may also lead to apprenticeship places, and the training element of the academy may be used as the foundation of apprenticeship training (see the subheading ‘Other types of publicly subsidised provision for adult learners’).

Skills Conditionality 

Skills Conditionality is a referral process for benefits claimants who have a skills need which is the main barrier preventing them from moving into work. It is mandatory for these claimants to attend skills provision funded by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA). Where a claimant’s skills needs are less clear, they are mandated to the National Careers Service for a further skills assessment.

Official statistics on participants in the schemes described above, up to November 2017, are available here.

The Work and Health Programme 

The Work and Health Programme offers targeted support to find sustained employment to those with disabilities, the long-term unemployed (those unemployed for 24 months or more), and members of specified disadvantaged groups.

Participation is mandatory for the long-term unemployed and voluntary for the disabled and other groups. It is not necessary to be in receipt of benefits to be eligible to apply. The service is run by service providers awarded contracts by the Government. It is expected that the majority of people referred to the Programme will be disabled. Many of the individuals who would previously have been supported by the predecessor Work Programme are now likely to receive help directly through Jobcentre Plus, the service provided by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to help them move from benefits to work.

The Work and Health Programme began to be phased in in November 2017, replacing the Work Programme and the Work Choice Programme, which targeted those with disabilities.

Further information on the Work and Health Programme is available on the GOV.UK website and in this January 2018 House of Commons Library briefing. For the background to, and statistics on the previous Work Programme, see this April 2016 House of Commons Library briefing.

Flexible Learning Fund 

The Flexible Learning Fund was launched in 2017 as part of a pilot programme to encourage more adults to take part in new training or courses to help them to secure a new job, or progress in their current employment. Funding is available for learning providers, employers and other organisations to support projects to develop methods of delivering learning that are flexible and easy to access for adults with either low or intermediate level skills.

Projects which might qualify for funding include those that provide training for older workers and people whose jobs are affected by the need for greater digital skills, or which increase the maths skills and confidence of adults already in work.

Traineeships 

Introduced in August 2013, traineeships are aimed at 16- to 24-year-olds who need to gain extra skills and experience to access an apprenticeship or employment. They are available up to age 25 for young people with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. Young people may be referred to traineeships by careers advisors through, for example, the National Careers Service or Jobcentre Plus.

Traineeships last up to six months and are designed to fit individual learner needs. The core content of the programme is a high quality work placement, work preparation training, and the study of English and maths. Training organisations have a key role in co-ordinating the traineeship, engaging local employers to offer the work experience placements, and encouraging young people to participate.

Job Seeker’s Allowance/Universal Credit claimants undertaking traineeships are able to continue their benefit claim.

Further information on traineeships can be found on the GOV.UK website and in this House of Commons Library briefing.

Returnships 

Returnships were first introduced in 2014 as a paid short-term employment contract to support senior professionals who had taken an extended career break. In its spring budget 2017, the Government stated (page 41) that it would work with businesses and public sector organisations to increase the number of returnships, supported by £5 million (€5.649 million*) of new funding.

*Exchange rate used: €1 = £0.88, ECB, 16 September 2019.

Provision of liberal (popular) adult education 

This section focuses on publicly subsidised community learning. It also covers continuing education courses provided by universities, which are funded through tuition fees charged to learners.

Community learning 

Community learning provides a broad range of flexible non-formal learning opportunities, ranging from personal development through to older people’s learning, IT courses, employability skills, family learning, and activities to promote civic engagement and community development. It may include activity targeting deprived areas and disadvantaged groups.

Courses are structured but usually unaccredited. The aims of community learning include enabling people of different ages and backgrounds to reconnect with learning. This may mean progression to formal qualifications, but there is no requirement for learners to progress to other learning or achieve a regulated qualification.

Providers include local authorities, further education colleges, community groups and voluntary (third) sector organisations, such as the University of the Third Age (U3A), an organisation of retired and semi-retired people learning for pleasure rather than for any qualification.

The means of delivery is usually part-time (day or evening) and can include workshops or ‘taster sessions’ designed to stimulate interest and encourage adults with low levels of confidence.

Not all learning is free. The Government provides a contribution to the overall cost of delivering community learning through the community learning budget. For information on the conditions for government funding for community learning see pp 45-46 of the Adult Education Budget funding Rules 2019/20.

For the background to the current funding model, see New Challenges, New Chances published in 2011, in which the Government set out and defined priority groups for funding. Government funding continues to support a universal community learning offer, with a wide range of learning opportunities available to all adults in England. The emphasis is on using the public funding subsidy to support access and progression in its widest sense, for people who are disadvantaged and who are furthest from learning and therefore least likely to participate. A full statement of the purpose of government-supported community learning and a list of the objectives defined for this activity is set out on page 14 of the 2011 document.

The same document also announced the piloting of new ‘community learning trust’ models to trial new approaches to working with community partners and to explore new delivery models. The pilots ran in 2012/13 and, since August 2013, community learning trusts have been established across England: all directly funded providers of community learning are now required to deliver a locally-determined learning offer and maximise value for money. For more information on the community learning trust model, see:

• BIS Research Paper Number 140 – Evaluation of the ‘New Challenges, New Chances’ Further Education and Skills Reform Plan (October 2013)
• BIS Research Paper Number 163 – Community Learning Trust (CLT) Pilot Evaluation (February 2014).

In 2017/18, the number of learners participating in community learning programmes decreased by 5.8% since 2016/17 to 504,500 (source: Further Education and Skills: November 2018, Main Text, SFR62/2017, page 1).

Continuing education courses 

Universities have a long tradition of offering continuing education courses to the public. A wide range of types of programme is available, including lecture series and one-day courses, weekend courses and summer schools, as well as longer part-time programmes. Some programmes may be offered without accreditation, while others may offer credits towards a higher education award. Programmes do not receive any public subsidy and are funded through tuition fees charged to learners.

Further information can be found in this House of Lord Library briefing on part-time and continuing education (June 2018).

Other types of publicly subsidised provision for adult learners 

This section addresses the following:

• Apprenticeships
• Unionlearn, an organisation which helps unions deliver learning opportunities for their members
• prison education.

Apprenticeships 

Apprenticeships are for adults, and for young people aged 16+, who are in employment. They incorporate both on- and off-the-job training.

In an apprenticeship, the employer provides on-the-job training and an approved training provider provides off-the-job training, which usually leads to a qualification. The employer pays the apprentice a salary and both the Government and the employer contribute towards the costs of the off-the-job training. Apprenticeships must incorporate a minimum of 20% off-the-job training. The Government provides guidance on how employers and training providers can meet this requirement.

Apprenticeship entry requirements vary depending on the sector,job and employer.

Apprenticeships standards replaced frameworks for all new starts in August 2020 as the phasing out of frameworks continued. All remaining apprenticeship frameworks were withdrawn on 31 July 2020. Employer-designed standards are central to our reforms to apprenticeships, driving up quality and delivering the skills that employers need for single occupations. 

Information on their differences and the withdrawal of frameworks is available from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education and the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) respectively.

Apprenticeship standards are developed through employer groups. The national, employer-led body, the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, was established in April 2017 with the aim of ensuring high quality apprenticeship standards. It provides guidance to employers for developing standards and advises the Government on funding for each standard.

Apprenticeships can be studied at different levels:

• intermediate at Level 2 equivalent to 5 GCSE passes
• advanced, at Level 3  equivalent to 2 A Level passes
• higher, at Levels 4 and 5
• degree, at Levels 6 and 7

The Department for Education (DfE) has overall responsibility for national policy on apprenticeships and the Apprenticeship Service  supports, funds and co-ordinates the delivery of apprenticeships throughout England. NAS is a distinct part of the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), an executive agency of the DfE.

• There were 322,500 starts in 2019/20, compared with 393,400 in 2018/19, a decrease of 18%.
• Higher-level starts (Level 4 and above) continued to grow in 2019/20, increasing by 10% (9.85%) (82,500) on 2018/19 (75,100).
• Starts at Level 6 and above have increased by 36% (35.6%) to 30,500 in 2019/20, compared with 22,500 in 2018/19.

For information on the funding of apprenticeships, see the article on ‘Adult Education and Training Funding’.

Apprenticeship funding 

The cost of off-the-job training for apprenticeships, which is provided by approved training providers, is co-funded by the Government and employers.

An apprenticeship levy for employers was introduced in April 2017. The levy is an important part of our aim to raise apprenticeship quality which supports employers to make a long-term, sustainable investment in training. In 2020-21, funding available for investment in apprenticeships in England will remain around £2.5 billion - double that spent in 2010-11 in cash terms.

As well as funding new apprenticeships in levy-paying employers, income from the levy is used to fund new apprenticeships in employers that do not pay the levy, as well as existing apprentices that started in previous years.

Policy background 

Apprenticeships have been undergoing a number of reforms. The 2012, Review made recommendations that included redefining apprenticeships, focusing more rigorously on outcomes and offering appropriate government incentives. Central to the findings of the review was that employers should be at the heart of the design and delivery of apprenticeships. This has led to the development of new apprenticeship standards through employer groups as described above.

For further information on apprenticeships policy in England, see the Department for Education’s April 2019 Progress report on the apprenticeships reform programme and the January 2019 House of Commons Library briefing.

For information on apprenticeships policy prior to 2017, see the House of Commons Library briefings Apprenticeships Policy in England 2010-2015 and Apprenticeships Policy, England Prior to 2010.

Unionlearn 

Unionlearn is the learning and skills organisation of the Trades Union Congress (TUC). It works to assist unions in the delivery of learning opportunities for their members, and managed the Union Learning Fund (ULF) under an agreement with the Department for Education (DfE). in October 2020 the Government wrote to the Trades Union Congress (TUC) to inform it that it will end the Union Learning Fund in March 2021.

Prison education 

The Ministry of Justice manages the Offenders’ Learning and Skills Service (OLASS) to integrate offender education with mainstream academic and vocational provision. OLASS allows offenders in custody to receive education and training according to individual need. This in turn enables them to gain the skills and qualifications they will need to obtain sustainable employment and have a positive role in society on leaving custody.

Responsibility for prison education was transferred to prison governors as from April 2019, following a recommendation by Dame Sally Coates in her 2016 review into prison education.

 Article last reviewed December 2020.