Data collection for adult and community learning
Lifelong Learning UK collects and analyses data about the workforce. The importance of understanding the workforce is set out in The Workforce Strategy for the Further Education Sector in England under Priority 1:
"There needs to be an evidence base of relevant data to identify and prioritise workforce development activities within all organisations that together make up the further education sector."
The Staff Individualised Record data collection has, historically, been the significant collection of workforce data in the further education college sector in England, providing a comprehensive overview of the profile of all staff working in further education colleges since 2001/02. No similar approach to collecting workforce data from adult and community learning providers in England has so far existed. This year Lifelong Learning UK, as part of the Workforce Strategy, has developed a process through which it is possible to collect some workforce data from adult and community learning providers.
This will be the first annual collection developed specifically for this part of the further education sector. Through time it is envisaged that the complexity and usefulness of the datasets resulting from this collection will rival that of Staff Individualised Record data collection.
The benefits of understanding the nature of the workforce are clear. The data collected will help to:
- inform planning processes for the sector
- provide information to prompt government action
- support recruitment, retention and development of staff
- benchmark their organisation against the sector
- demonstrate compliance in an environment of self regulation (for example, in such areas as equality and diversity).
Download the Guidance for the Collection of Workforce Data in England; WBL and ACL.
To get involved in the collection, please complete and return the reply slip.
