Emily Jones

Deputy Director

Emily Jones is Deputy Director at L&W, with responsibility for our research programme and leading our communications and influencing work. Emily has 16 years’ experience in research to inform lifelong learning and skills policy and leads our flagship project, New Futures, and our annual Adult Participation in Learning Survey. Emily has progressed through a number of roles at L&W and has delivered research in apprenticeships and technical education, essential and life skills, and offender learning.

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22 June 2026

Adult learning in Wales: Adult Participation in Learning Survey

Lifelong learning Reports & briefings

For nearly 30 years, Learning and Work Institute (L&W) has published its annual Adult Participation in Learning Survey. As the longest-running survey of its kind, it stands as the definitive report on who is learning across the UK, how they are learning, and what motivates them. It adopts a broad definition of learning, including formal, non-formal and informal learning, rather than just publicly offered educational opportunities for adults. In 2025, we specifically boosted our survey sample in Wales to 800 adults. This expanded dataset allows us to take a closer look at the unique successes and distinct challenges facing Welsh learners, offering an invaluable point of comparison with the rest of the UK.

Adult Participation in Learning Survey 2023: Wales

Lifelong learning Reports & briefings

Year-on-year the survey finds stark and persistent inequalities, with some groups more likely to learn as an adult than others. The 2023 survey also indicated that differences between geographical regions may be widening. With devolution of learning and skills policy and funding, it is important to better understand patterns of participation at a national and regional level.

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Emily Jones

Adult learning in Wales: Adult Participation in Learning Survey

Adult Participation in Learning Survey 2023: Wales

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