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CHAPTER NINE Awareness of learning campaigns and other initiatives
9.1 This chapter explores awareness of a number of public campaigns and initiatives which aim to promote adult learning and access to resources for learning. These include learndirect scotland and 'Adult Learners Week'. Awareness and usage of such schemes are analysed in relation to different levels of qualifications and learning status and where relevant, compared to findings from England and Wales. We also explore willingness to use a dedicated savings account for learning, to which the government, employer and individual can all contribute (an extension of the 'Individual Learning Account' concept).
Learning campaigns
9.2 In both Scotland and in England and Wales the most well-known public campaign of those included in NALS is 'Adult Learner's Week' - 26% of respondents in Scotland had heard of this, compared with 19% of those in England and Wales. This difference also accounts for the smaller proportion of respondents in Scotland who were not aware of any of the learning campaigns listed (68%, compared with 74% in England and Wales)
Table 9.1 Awareness of learning campaigns Scotland and England/Wales 2005
| Scotland | England/Wales |
|---|
% | % |
|---|
Adult Learners Week | 26 | 19 |
|---|
Learning at Work Day | 10 | 9 |
|---|
Family Learning Weekend | 4 | 4 |
|---|
Not aware of any of the above | 68 | 74 |
|---|
Weighted base | 841 | 3870 |
|---|
Unweighted base | 834 | 3339 |
|---|
Base: All respondents aged 16-69 not in continuous full-time education.
*Percentages sum to more than 100 since respondents could report awareness of more than one campaign.
9.3 Learners were more likely than non-learners to be aware of any of the listed campaigns (Table 9.2). They were particularly more likely than non-learners to be aware of 'Adult Learners Week' (28%, 20%).
Table 9.2 Awareness of learning campaigns by learning status
| Learners | Non-learners | Total |
|---|
% | % | % |
|---|
Adult Learners Week | 28 | 20 | 26 |
|---|
Learning at work day | 11 | 8 | 10 |
|---|
Family Learning Weekend | 4 | 3 | 4 |
|---|
Not aware of any of the above | 66 | 76 | 68 |
|---|
Weighted base | 693 | 148 | 841 |
|---|
Unweighted base | 657 | 177 | 834 |
|---|
Base: All respondents aged 16-69 not in continuous full-time education.
*Percentages sum to more 100 since respondents could report awareness of more than one campaign.
9.4 Although there is not a particularly strong relationship between higher levels of qualifications and higher awareness of learning campaigns (Table 9.3), it is worth noting that those with no qualifications were more likely than other groups not to have heard of any of the campaigns NALS asked about (79%, compared with 69% of those qualified at level 1).
Table 9.3 Awareness of learning campaigns by current qualification group
| SVQ Level 5 | SVQ Level 4 | SVQ Level 3 | SVQ Level 2 | SVQ Level 1 | No quals | Total |
|---|
% | % | % | % | % | % | % |
|---|
Adult Learners Week | 27 | 30 | 25 | 23 | 26 | 18 | 26 |
|---|
Learning at Work Day | 10 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 10 |
|---|
Family Learning Weekend | 6 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
|---|
Not aware of any of the above | 69 | 61 | 69 | 72 | 69 | 79 | 68 |
|---|
Weighted base | 51 | 258 | 155 | 115 | 189 | 71 | 840 |
|---|
Unweighted base | 52 | 249 | 148 | 106 | 194 | 82 | 833 |
|---|
Base: All respondents aged 16-69 who had been in continuous full-time education but were not currently in continuous full-time education.
*Percentages sum to more than 100 since respondents could report awareness of more than one campaign.
Savings account for learning
9.5 Respondents who said they were likely to do some type of learning in the next 2 or 3 years were asked whether they would be willing to save towards their future learning costs using a bank account developed by the government and with contributions from the government, their employer and themselves.
9.6 A very similar proportion of respondents in Scotland (35%) and in England and Wales (34%) said they would be willing to participate in such a scheme (Table 9.). However, in England and Wales there was little variance in attitude towards such saving accounts between learners and non-learners while in Scotland there were some differences:
- While learners and non-learners were equally likely to say they were not interested in saving towards learning in such an account, learners (37%) were far more likely than non-learners (23%) to say they were willing to do so.
- Non-learners, on the other hand were less sure of the idea and were more likely to state that participation in such a scheme depended on conditions, that they did not know (38% compared to 27% for learners) or that they were unable to save (5%).
Figure 9.1 Willingness to have a savings account for learning, by learning status
9.7 Although there was again no clear linear pattern to responses by qualification level, it is worth noting that a smaller proportion of the respondents in SVQ level 2 (23%) and SVQ level 1 (30%) say they would be willing to try such a scheme. A particularly high proportion (42%) of respondents qualified at SVQ level 2 or equivalent say it depends on conditions or that they don't know. If the Scottish Executive were to develop such a scheme, it may wish to further investigate the conditions that would persuade these groups to participate.
Table 9.4 Willingness to have a savings account for learning by current qualification group
| SVQ Level 5 | SVQ Level 4 | SVQ Level 3 | SVQ Level 2 | SVQ Level 1 | All Scotland | All England/Wales |
|---|
% | % | % | % | % | % | % |
|---|
Yes | [43] | 40 | 42 | 23 | 30 | 35 | 34 |
|---|
No | [32] | 34 | 32 | 31 | 38 | 34 | 42 |
|---|
It depends on the conditions or don t know | [23] | 25 | 23 | 42 | 29 | 28 | 22 |
|---|
Unable to save money | [2] | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
|---|
Weighted base | 48 | 242 | 110 | 97 | 122 | 644 | 2955 |
|---|
Unweighted base | 49 | 230 | 105 | 84 | 124 | 617 | 2503 |
|---|
Base: All respondents aged 16-69 who had been in continuous full-time education but were not currently in continuous full-time education and who said they were very or fairly likely to do learning in future.
learndirect scotland
9.8 learndirect scotland was established to support the Scottish Executive's Lifelong Learning Strategy by providing information and resources to help people find courses and giving advice on how to pay for learning. Their resources include a telephone helpline, a website with a searchable database of registered learning centres and a network of learndirect Scotland quality assured learning centres.
9.9 A majority of respondents in Scotland (82%) had heard of learndirect scotland 29. This is a somewhat larger proportion than had heard of the separate learndirect services in England and Wales (76%). Sixteen per cent of all respondents in Scotland had used learndirect scotland.
9.10 Unsurprisingly, learners were more likely to have heard of learndirect scotland and more than twice as likely to have used it as non-learners (85% of learners had heard of it and 18% used it, compared with 67% and 7% of non-learners).
Table 9.5 Awareness and use of learndirect and learndirect scotland by learning status
| Learners (Scotland) | Non-learners (Scotland) | Total (Scotland) | Total (England /Wales) |
|---|
% | % | % | % |
|---|
All who had heard of learndirect/ learndirect scotland | 85 | 67 | 82 | 76 |
|---|
Heard of learndirect/ learndirect scotland and used it | 18 | 7 | 16 | 14 |
|---|
Heard of learndirect/ learndirect scotland but not used it | 67 | 60 | 66 | 62 |
|---|
Never heard of learndirect/ learndirect scotland | 15 | 33 | 18 | 24 |
|---|
Weighted base | 692 | 148 | 840 | 3868 |
|---|
Unweighted base | 656 | 177 | 833 | 3338 |
|---|
Base: All respondents aged 16-69 not in continuous full-time education.
9.11 Respondents with SVQ level 2 qualifications were the most likely (95%) and those with no qualifications least likely (59%) to have heard of learndirect scotland.
Table 9.6 Awareness and use of learndirect scotland by current qualification group
| SVQ Level 5 | SVQ Level 4 | SVQ Level 3 | SVQ Level 2 | SVQ Level 1 | No quals | Total |
|---|
% | % | % | % | % | % | % |
|---|
All who had heard of learndirect scotland | 88 | 85 | 80 | 95 | 78 | 59 | 82 |
|---|
Heard of learndirect scotland and used it | 28 | 22 | 14 | 15 | 10 | 6 | 16 |
|---|
Heard of learndirect scotland but not used it | 61 | 63 | 66 | 80 | 69 | 53 | 66 |
|---|
Never heard of learndirect scotland | 12 | 15 | 20 | 5 | 21 | 41 | 18 |
|---|
Weighted base | 51 | 258 | 155 | 115 | 188 | 71 | 839 |
|---|
Unweighted base | 52 | 249 | 148 | 106 | 193 | 82 | 832 |
|---|
Base: All respondents aged 16-69 who had been in continuous full-time education but were not currently in continuous full-time education.
9.12 The 16% of respondents who said they had used learndirect scotland were asked whether they took any of the actions listed in Table 9. after hearing about the scheme.
- Half of respondents (50%) who had used learndirect scotland had visited the website
- A third had used the telephone helpline
- A quarter had visited a learndirect scotland learning centre.
9.13 Although in general actions taken on hearing about the service in Scotland were similar to those undertaken in England and Wales on hearing about learndirect, users in Scotland were far less likely to register on the learndirect scotland website (1%) than users in England and Wales were to register with the learndirect website (12%).
9.14 While respondents who answered this question had acknowledged use of the learndirect scotland service when asked in the previous question in the interview, 40% of respondents said they had not taken any of the listed actions.
Table 9.7 Actions taken after hearing about learndirect scotland
| % |
|---|
Visited learndirect scotland website | 50 |
|---|
Used learndirect scotland telephone helpline | 33 |
|---|
Visited a learndirect scotland learning centre | 24 |
|---|
Recommended learndirect scotland to someone else | 18 |
|---|
Talked to employer / boss about doing learning / training | 12 |
|---|
Enrolled on another course not run by learndirect scotland | 5 |
|---|
Registered on the learndirect scotland website | 1 |
|---|
None of these | 40 |
|---|
Weighted base | 133 |
|---|
Unweighted base | 146 |
|---|
Base: All respondents aged 16-69 not in continuous full-time education who had used learndirect scotland.
Percentages sum to more than 100 since respondents could report more than one action.
Conclusion
9.15 The majority of respondents (68%) had not heard of any of the learning campaigns covered by NALS, though a quarter (26%) had heard of 'Adult Learners Week'. Those already involved in adult learning were more aware of the three learning campaigns - 76% of non-learners, compared with 66% of learners had not heard of any of them. Respondents with no qualifications were also less likely to have heard of any of the campaigns.
9.16 An equal proportion of respondents said they would be willing to save towards their learning using a special savings account (35%) and that they would not be willing to do this (34%). Non-learners were more likely than learners to express uncertainty about such a scheme, saying it depended on conditions or that they could not save.
9.17 Just over 80% of respondents had heard of learndirect scotland, while a much smaller proportion (16%) had used the service. Learners were more likely to have heard of the service and more than twice as likely as non-learners to have used it. Interestingly, levels of awareness of learndirect scotland were highest among respondents qualified to SVQ level 2 or equivalent (95%). Given the Scottish Executive's focus on ensuring that all adults are qualified to at least SCQF Level 5 (equivalent to SVQ level 2), this finding perhaps reflects an increased policy focus on level 2 learners. Those with no qualifications showed the lowest levels of awareness (59%) and use (8%) of learndirect scotland. The most common action respondents took on hearing about the learndirect scotland scheme was to access their website (50%), while a third used the telephone helpline and a quarter visited a learndirect learning centre.
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