The BBC are now reporting the results of the annual NIACE Adult Learning Survey - this is a national survey undertaken on an annual basis with a sample size of about 5,000 respondents allowing for the data to be cut in some ways (social class, level of highest qualification or region) but not in multiple ways (social class and region for example). The main value of the survey is as a longitudinal barometer of participation in learning among the adult population showing broad trends - the Government criticism that individual years should not be looked at in isolation is fair, but the same can be said of their own survey, NALS (National Adult Learning Survey).
Some of the NIACE findings are wholly unsurprising to those of us who have been looking at learning survey data for the past 15 years. Those from higher socio-economic groups are more likely to participate in learning after school age than those from lower socio-economic groups. I know you will always find the example of the bin man who has been doing a degree with the Open University for the past 7 years, but remember this is a generalisation based on majority findings. However people from higher socio-economic groups include people who are doctors, accountants, lawyers and members of professional institutions, most if not all of which demand continuous professional development to maintain a licence to practise. I am almost worried that only 53% of those respondents from the higher socio-economic groups have undertaken learning in the past 3 years.
There is concern that there has not been an explosion among those in lower socio-economic groups undertaking learning, given the millions being poured into schemes such as Train to Gain and the adult literacy and numeracy campaigns. I suspect that even though this work has seen large numbers of new learners, the fall in the availability of free or low cost adult education opportunities has had an effect. Not least in the mind of the respondent - having just completed a telephone survey myself recently, I can confirm that people don't necessarily remember slightly dull or ordinary business activities, where they do remember attending an external event or something that was fun.
When training is delivered in the work place, it is highly effective for both employer and employee in general, but it may not be remembered as learning activity by an individual, particularly if it was not clearly badged as a learning event.
Surveys are excellent tools for understanding the broad characteristics of the population, but with adult learning, there is also access to the Learning and Skills Council Statistical First releases, which while complex do give definitive numbers enrolled on publicly funded learning. NALS was last run in 2005, has had a small sample size in the past (less than 5,000 sometimes), is not undertaken regularly, and while the next round is in the planning phase, is unlikely to show headline results until 2010.