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CHAPTER EIGHT Information, Advice and guidance

8.1 This chapter focuses on respondents' access to information, advice and guidance ²⁸ ( IAG) regarding learning. It explores receipt of IAG amongst different types of learners and people with different qualification levels and considers the availability of IAG and the different sources of IAG used. Finally the chapter considers respondents' views on the likelihood of their seeking information, advice and guidance about learning in the future and which organisations they would approach for this purpose. Figures reported in this chapter only include respondents aged 16-69, unless otherwise stated.

Receipt of information, advice and guidance

8.2 All respondents were asked whether they had received any IAG about learning in the past 12 months and, if so, from which sources. As Table 8.1 shows:

• Learners were more than twice as likely as non-learners to have received IAG about learning in the last 12 months (72% of all learners as opposed to 31% of all non-learners)
• Those learners who had done only self-directed learning were more likely to have received IAG in the last year than those who had done only taught learning (63% and 51%)
• However, the group most likely to have received IAG was those who had done both taught and self-directed learning (81%).

Table 8.1 Whether received IAG about learning in the past 12 months, by learning status

Base: all respondents aged 16-69, not in continuous full-time education

8.3 As shown in Table 8.2, there is a broadly linear association between level of qualification and the likelihood that respondents had received IAG, with those respondents qualified to a higher level more likely to have received IAG than those with lower level or no qualifications.

• Those with SVQ level 5 qualifications (who are also more likely to be learners) were the most likely to have received IAG (92%) whilst those with no qualifications were least likely (24%).

Table 8.2 Whether received IAG about learning in the last 12 months by level of highest qualification held

Base: all respondents aged 16-69, not in continuous full-time education.

Note: respondents who had never been in continuous full-time education are included in the total column but not in the figures for any other columns.

8.4 Respondents who had received information, advice or guidance over the past year (n = 539) were asked how many sources of IAG they had used over this period. Learners were more likely than non-learners to have used more than one source of IAG (Table 8.3). A third of learners used only one source, while two-thirds used more than one source. Amongst non-learners, almost exactly the reverse pattern was found - two-thirds used only one source of IAG and a third used more than one.

Table 8.3 Number of IAG sources used by learning status

Base: all respondents aged 16-69 not in continuous full-time education who had used any IAG source

8.5 Those learners who had done both taught and self-directed learning were more likely than those who had done only one type of learning to have used a larger number of sources of IAG - 43% had used three or more sources of IAG, compared with 23% of those who had done only taught learning and 28% of those who had done self-directed learning only.

8.6 This suggests that those who are most actively engaged in different types of learning tend to access more information about learning opportunities than those involved in only one type of learning (perhaps reflecting a tendency to use different providers or information sources for different types of learning). Those involved in any type of learning access a wider range of information about learning opportunities than those not involved in learning.

Sources of information, advice and guidance

8.7 Table 8.4 shows the specific sources of IAG used by different learning sub-groups.

• The most common source identified by learners was their employer (mentioned by 3 in 10). Family and friends (26%), educational institutions (23%) and the media (20%) were other common sources of IAG for learners.
• For non-learners, the most commonly mentioned source of IAG was leaflets through the letterbox (17%) followed by an educational institution (7%) and the media (5%). Non-learners were much less likely than learners to have received IAG from formal sources (2% of non-learners compared with 30% of learners had received IAG from an employer) as well as informal (2% of non-learners had received IAG from family, friends or colleagues, compared with 26% of learners).
• Those learners who had done both taught and self-directed learning were more likely than those who had done only one type of learning to have used many of the sources of information listed - for example, 41% of those who had done both taught and self-directed learning had received IAG from an employer, compared with 8% of those who did taught learning and 15% of those who did self-directed learning only.

Table 8.4 Sources of IAG about learning received in the last 12 months by learning status*

Base: all respondents aged 16-69, not in continuous full-time education

*Percentages sum to more than 100 because respondents could mention more than one category

8.8 Table 8.5 shows that, just as those with higher qualifications were more likely than those with lower-level or no qualifications to have accessed IAG at all (Table 8.2), they were also more likely to have used almost all the listed sources of IAG. For example 44% of those in SVQ level 5 had received IAG from an educational institution, compared with 26% of those qualified to level 4 and 10% of those at level 1.

8.9 Those with no qualifications at all were least likely to have used most of the sources of IAG (reflecting their much lower likelihood of using IAG per se). The only source of IAG more commonly used by those with no qualifications than by other groups was New Deal advisers or Jobcentres (mentioned by 6% of those with no qualifications, compared with 2% of those at level 3).

Table 8.5 Sources of IAG about learning used in the last 12 months by highest qualification held*

Base: all respondents aged 16-69, not in continuous full-time education who had done some learning in the past 3 years

*Percentages sum to more than 100 because respondents could mention more than one category

Note: respondents who had never been in continuous full-time education are included in the total column but not in the figures for any other columns.

Availability of information, advice and guidance

8.10 As well as being asked whether they had received IAG, respondents were asked whether they had actively looked for information, advice or guidance about learning at any point during the last three years. Those who looked for IAG can be further divided into those who did so successfully (i.e. they found the IAG they wanted) and those who were unable to find the IAG they were looking for.

• Just under half of all respondents had not sought any IAG about learning over the past three years (Table 8.6)
• 40% percent had looked for IAG and found it
• Around one in ten had not been able to find the IAG they wanted.

Table 8.6 Search for IAG, by learning status

Base: all respondents aged 16-69, not in continuous full-time education

8.11 Key variations by learning status include:

• Non-learners were the least likely to have actively looked for IAG (76% did not look for IAG, compared to 36% of those who had done both taught and self-directed learning).
• Those who had undertaken both taught and self-directed learning were more likely to have looked for IAG in the past three years than those who had done only taught or only self-directed learning (63% compared to 44% for each of the 'single-learning type' groups).

8.12 Among the respondents who had looked for IAG, most (79%) were able to find it. Although non-learners were less likely than learners to have looked for IAG, when they did look for it they were no less likely to have found it.

8.13 In general, those with higher levels of qualifications were more likely than those with lower-level or no qualifications to have sought information, advice and guidance on learning in the past three years (Table 8.7) - 72% of those respondents with SVQ level 5 qualifications actively sought IAG, compared with 36% of those with SVQ level 1 and just 16% of those with no qualifications.

Table 8.7 Search for IAG in the past 3 years, by current qualification group

Base: all respondents aged 16-69 not in continuous full-time education

Note: respondents who had never been in continuous full-time education are included in the total column but not in the figures for any other columns.

8.14 However, again when only those who actually looked for IAG are considered, there is little variation by SVQ level in the proportion who looked for and found IAG (76% of those with level 1 qualifications who looked for IAG found it, compared with 78% of those at level 5).

8.15 Those respondents who said they had looked for, but were unable to find IAG in the past three years (1 in 10 of all respondents aged 16-69), were asked about the type of IAG they had been looking for. The most commonly mentioned topic was IAG for particular jobs (50% of those who sought IAG but could not find it), followed by local course availability (40%) and local places for learning/training (32%), suggesting that occupation-specific IAG and more information on local learning would be well-received by this group.

Table 8.8 Types of IAG required but not found

Base: all respondents aged 16-69 not in continuous full-time education who sought IAG in the past 3 years but were unable to find it

*Percentages sum to more than 100 because respondents could mention more than one category

Likelihood of using IAG sources in the next year

8.16 Overall, most respondents (57%) stated they were likely or very likely to use IAG on learning in the next 12 months (Table 8.9). However, non-learners were considerably less likely than learners to say they would want IAG about learning in the future (55% said it was very unlikely they would use IAG, compared with only 10% of those doing both taught and self-directed learning). Those who were doing both taught and self-directed learning were more likely than those who were just doing one or the other to say they were likely to use IAG in the future.

Table 8.9 Likelihood of using IAG in next 12 months, by learning status

Base: all respondents aged 16-69, not in continuous full-time education

Note that 8 respondents did not answer the question about likelihood of using IAG in the future. As with all other tables, the percentages have been calculated from the responding base.

8.17 As shown in Table 8.10, those qualified to a higher level were generally more likely than those with lower levels of qualification to state they would use IAG on learning in the future. For example, 70% of those qualified to SVQ level 5 or equivalent said they were likely or very likely to use IAG in the future, compared with 61% of those qualified to SVQ level 3, 39% for those qualified to level 1 and 19% for those with no qualifications.

Table 8.10 Likelihood of using IAG in future by current qualification group

Base: all respondents aged 16-69, not in continuous full-time education.

Note: respondents who had never been in continuous full-time education are included in the total column but not in the figures for any other columns.

8.18 Respondents who had indicated they were likely or very likely to use IAG sources on learning in the next year, were asked what types of IAG they would be interested in using.

• Half (50%) were interested in the types of courses available locally and local places where they can take part in learning (48% - Table 8.11).
• Forty-five per cent were interested in IAG on courses for specific jobs, again highlighting the importance of occupation-specific IAG for some groups of potential learners.
• 4 in 10 were interested in different ways of learning.

8.19 Those with lower-levels of qualification were somewhat more likely to want information about where to go for advice and guidance on learning - for example, 33% of those qualified to level 3 wanted this kind of information, compared with just 10% of those qualified to level 5. This reflects similar patterns found in the data for England and Wales and for previous waves of NALS in England and Wales, and suggests that the most highly qualified respondents are those who already have the greatest access to or awareness of a range of IAG resources.

Table 8.11 Types of IAG respondents felt might be useful in the future, by current qualification group*

Base: all respondents aged 16-69 not in continuous full time education who said they were 'likely' or 'very likely' to seek IAG in the next 12 months to find out about courses.

*Percentages sum to more than 100 because respondents could mention more than one category

Note: 8 learners did not answer the question about the types of IAG that might be useful in the future. As with all other tables, the percentages have been calculated from the responding base.

Note: respondents who had never been in continuous full-time education are included in the total column but not in the figures for any other columns.

Who would people use for IAG in the future?

8.20 Those who said they were likely to want IAG about learning in the future were most likely to say they would contact an educational institution for this IAG (62%).

• Forty-two percent overall would approach their employer, although this was much lower among those with who were only qualified to SVQ level 1 or equivalent (19%), possibly reflecting lower employment rates among this sub-section of the sample.
• A third overall would use a website other than the Scottish Executive or learndirect scotland websites to access IAG, while a quarter would use libraries or learning resource centres (Table 8.12).

8.21 In terms of learndirect scotland services:

• 17% overall said they would use the website for IAG, while 8% would use the telephone helpline.
• However, it is worth noting that 21% of those qualified to level 5 would use the website, but none would use the telephone helpline. In contrast, 20% of those qualified to level 1 would use the telephone helpline. This emphasises the importance of having different modes of accessing learndirect scotland to meet the preferences and needs of different groups of potential learners.

Table 8.12 Organisations respondents are most likely to contact for IAG in future, by current qualification group*

Base: all respondents aged 16-69 not in continuous full time education who had said they were 'likely' or 'very likely' to seek IAG in the next 12 months to find out about courses.

*Percentages sum to more than 100 because respondents could mention more than one category

Note: respondents who had never been in continuous full-time education are included in the total column but not in the figures for any other columns.

Conclusion

8.22 Twice as many learners (72%) as non-learners (31%) had received some information, advice or guidance about learning in the past year. Overall, highly qualified respondents emerged as the group most likely to have sought advice and to have used more sources of IAG. They were also the group most likely to think they will seek advice in the future. Those who had done both taught and self-directed learning were also more active and successful than other groups of learners in seeking information, advice and guidance.

8.23 Findings suggest that respondents are keen to have access to more information on local learning opportunities and on occupation-specific learning opportunities. Educational institutions are the organisations people are most likely to contact for IAG about learning in the future.

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