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CHAPTER TEN CONCLUSIONS
Widening participation
10.1 When the ILA Scotland scheme was launched in 2004, targets were set for the numbers of "active learners" (people who have actually undertaken ILA funded learning). The target for ILA200 has now been achieved, but take-up of ILA100 has been lower than expected.
10.2 By wave 2 of the survey, around three in five "successful applicants" (people who already held an ILA100 or ILA200 account) had started an ILA-funded course.
10.3 Where people had not started a course, it was most commonly because ILA funding did not cover the type of course they wanted. When asked directly, these respondents were often critical of the range of courses available to them. The "unconverted enquirers" covered by the survey expressed similar views, suggesting that the limited range of courses may also be an issue for those who do not open an account. In considering the range of courses covered by ILA funding, it is important to bear in mind the timing of the survey: most of the courses in question were those offered in 2005 and 2006, and the range of courses has been expanding since that time. Nevertheless, the survey confirms that the ability to offer a wide range of relevant courses is important in increasing the numbers of active learners. It is also worth noting in this context that non- ILA funded courses taken by learners covered a wider range in terms of subjects and types of providers than ILA funded courses.
10.4 In assessing the role of the ILA scheme in encouraging participation, it is also important to examine whether the funding was responsible for people taking up courses or whether they would have done so anyway even if the ILA funding was not available 27. A proportion (16% on ILA200 and 27% on ILA100) said they would have been "very likely" to have done the course anyway, but the majority felt that the funding did make a difference to their participation.
Attracting people with low skills and on low incomes
10.5 One of the aims of the ILA scheme was to prioritise the needs of low-skilled people and those on lower incomes. ILA200 has, by definition, prioritised those on lower incomes, but it may not have attracted as many low-skilled people as anticipated - analysis of the profile of successful applicants shows that those on ILA200 were similar to the Scottish population as a whole in terms of their qualifications and social grade. Given that ILA200 was restricted to those on low incomes, it is therefore likely that within the eligible population those with low skills are under-represented on ILA200.
10.6 Successful applicants on ILA100 had higher qualifications and were in higher social grades than the Scottish population. Those with higher qualifications were also most likely to say that they could not get the course they wanted through ILA. This suggests that the people who are attracted to ILA100 are not necessarily those at whom the funded courses are aimed at. Therefore, as well as trying to attract more people with low skills, it is also important to clarify the types of course on offer to potential applicants.
10.7 Analysis of ILA200 showed that women were more likely than men both to hold an account and then to become an "active" learner. In this context, it is important to bear in mind that in the Scottish population as a whole, as of 2006 overall employment rates were more than five percentage points lower for women than for men, although this gap has narrowed slightly since 1999. In addition, the employment rate for men in full-time employment remains markedly higher than for women, and the employment rate of men is higher than women at every qualification level except for graduates 28.
Level of funding and personal contributions
10.8 As noted above, the majority of learners on both offers said that they would not have started their course without the ILA funding. In addition, the majority agreed that the amount they contributed personally was "about right". This suggests that the levels of funding offered by the scheme are sufficient to help people to undertake courses. However, the overall take-up of ILA100 has been low and people on both offers indicated that the personal contribution may be an obstacle to starting a course (two in five agreed that having to pay a personal contribution makes you think twice about applying for a course). However, the survey cannot predict whether a higher rate of funding would boost the numbers of active learners.
Learning progression
10.9 Although the survey does not indicate the extent to which ILA-funded learning helps to increase learners' qualification levels, it confirmed that most courses do lead to a qualification (including 82% on ILA200 where courses do not need to lead to a qualification). Gaining a recognised qualification was also one of the outcomes most valued by learners.
10.10 In addition, it is clear that many learners used their initial learning to move onto further courses: three in ten learners on ILA200 said that the course had helped them "to a great extent" to move onto another course.
Learner satisfaction
10.11 One of the scheme's targets when it was launched was for 90% of learners to be satisfied with the quality of their learning. The survey findings showed that ILA-funded courses have met this target: more than 90% of learners on each offer said they were satisfied overall, and the vast majority said that the course had met or exceeded their expectations.
10.12 Positive views were also expressed towards the application process and ILA helpline. Even the unconverted enquirers were generally positive towards the application form and guidance they received; the one area of difficulty was the income assessment section of the form, for which 18% of unconverted enquirers said they thought they would have had problems providing supporting documentation. Overall, however, these findings indicate that the application process works well.
10.13 Overall, the survey findings indicate that the ILA scheme has helped people to take up courses, and is giving access to good quality learning. The challenge the scheme faces is to increase the numbers of people participating in the scheme, particularly those with low skills.
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