Learning and Work Institute’s latest Adult Participation in Learning Survey for Wales tells a positive story of increasing engagement in learning but it also shows that those who may benefit most are missing out.
Nearly half of adults in Wales (47%) have taken part in learning over the past three years, a higher rate than the UK average (42%) but stark inequalities emerge when we look at age, demographics and employment status. The definition of learning in this survey is intentionally broad and extends beyond government or employer funded opportunities to include informal and self-directed learning.
Adults in work are far more likely to be learning than those outside the labour market. Full-time employees are more than twice as likely (59%) to have participated in learning recently compared to those who are economically inactive (28%) and those who are retired (23%). Those already connected to the workplace are most likely to access opportunities to upskill, while those who might benefit most are often left behind. Wales has higher rates of economically inactive people than the rest of the UK and previous L&W research highlights the importance of taking action to enable people to access work and supporting them to stay there; learning has a key role to play in this endeavour.
Participation also ranges from 55% among higher social grades to just 36% among those in the lowest grades, this gap appears larger than the UK as a whole. Those in more secure, higher-paying roles are much more likely to continue building skills, while those in lower-paid or less stable work are less likely to do so.
And the more you learn, the more you want to learn. Adults who stayed in full-time education longer are far more likely to keep learning later in life. More than half (53%) of those who left education aged 21 or over have taken part in recent learning, compared with just 34% of those who left at 16 or younger. This suggests that early educational experiences can cast a long shadow and potentially shape to learning decades later.
Age is perhaps the starkest dividing line of all. Participation drops sharply as people get older with 59% of adults aged 25–49 reporting recent learning, but just 30% among those aged 50–74. This trend is particularly concerning given an ageing population and longer working lives where reskilling will be essential both for individuals and for businesses. It is also striking that even within the 25–49 age group one fifth of respondents reported feeling “too old” as a barrier to learning.
Among adults who are not learning, the most common reasons include feeling “too old” (34%), cost (31%) and a lack of interest (27%). These are not just practical obstacles – they reflect perceptions about who learning is, and isn’t, for.
The result is a system where opportunity is unevenly shared. We know that lifelong learning is fundamental to economic growth and social mobility, stories from our annual Inspire! Adult Learning Awards reinforce this message time and time again. But to achieve these outcomes learning cannot remain something that primarily benefits those who are already in work, better educated, or more advantaged.
On average, adults who have not engaged with learning in the last three years report more than two barriers preventing them from taking part. Interventions aimed at encouraging participation in learning must account for the range of barriers people face, these include cost, childcare, confidence, lack of information and guidance or time. There are also those who say they do not want to learn – just over a quarter (27%) in this survey – showing the importance of reaching out to people and raising awareness of the benefits of learning. And it won’t just be the individual who benefits if we can meet this challenge, the positive impact of learning is felt in families, communities, the health service and the economy. Widening engagement in learning will reap rewards for all of us both inside and outside of the classroom.
Are we reaching those who need it the most?
Explore the full set of findings from the Adult Participation in Learning Survey 2025.
Read the full report