A national survey reveals a positive picture of adult participation in learning, tempered by persistent inequalities by social class and geography.
Learning and Work Institute (L&W) has tracked the number of adults taking part in learning through an annual Adult Participation in Learning survey, the largest of its kind, and now in its 27th year. The results for 2023 – released on Monday 6 November, the first day of Lifelong Learning Week – show that almost one in every two adults in the UK (49%) have taken part in learning in the last three years. This is a statistically significant increase (+8 percentage points) on the participation rate in 2022 and the highest recorded since the survey began in 1996.
This historic high reflects increasing numbers of people learning for leisure since the pandemic, often online and independently. Recent L&W research has revealed that individuals in the UK invest £7.3 billion a year and £55 billion worth of time in learning – more than the Government and employers invest in learning and skills.
This picture contrasts with sharp falls in employer investment in training, down 26% per employee since 2005, and cuts in public spending on learning, down £1 billion in England compared to 2010. Together this shows adults have an innate interest in learning and have taken advantage of new ways to access learning, but face reduced opportunities to take part in formal learning that can have added benefits, including providing accreditation that can aid careers. This highlights the importance of widening access to all forms of learning so people don’t limit their chances to progress in learning.
