5.5 million peoSince April 2021, eligible adults have been able to take a Level 3 qualification for free, funded through the National Skills Fund. The aim of this policy is to upskill people to help them access jobs with better career prospects and prepare for the economy of the future.
Despite the evidence on the benefits of learning, the UK has seen a decline in the number of adults participating in learning and skills training. Studies have consistently demonstrated that adults who could most benefit from participating in learning are the least likely to do so. For the National Skills Fund to be effective, these entrenched inequalities in participation in learning need to be addressed.
This research, undertaken by Learning and Work Institute on behalf of the Department for Education, sought to understand how adults can be effectively engaged in the National Skills Fund Free Courses for Jobs offer. It explored:
- Characteristics of people who are most likely to take up the National Skills Fund Free Courses for Jobs offer, and their motivations for learning
- Learning opportunities adults understand are available to them, and where they go to find information, advice and guidance
- The extent to which the National Skills Fund Free Courses for Jobs offer appeals to different groups of adults, and why
- Practical barriers that may prevent adults undertaking courses included in entitlement
- Support needed to enable adults’ engagement with the offer.
