Further education, work-based learning and adult learning: August 2019 to July 2020

From March 2020 onwards, education provision was significantly disrupted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The figures presented in this report are likely to have been impacted. This should be kept in mind, particularly when comparing with previous years.

Main points

• There were 148,860 learners at further education institutions (FEIs), adult learning or work-based learning (WBL) providers during 2019/20.
• There were 112,105 unique learners at FEIs, a decrease of around 8% on the previous year.
• This decrease was largely driven by part-time learners at FEIs (down 15%) and, to a lesser extent, learners undertaking WBL at FEIs (down 10%).
• The number of full-time learners at FEIs increased by 1%.
• There were 8,200 unique learners in adult learning.
• Total work-based learner numbers decreased by 15% on the previous year.
• There were around 14% fewer apprenticeship learning programmes started.

Note

This report summarises data on learners in post-16 education and training, excluding those at higher education institutions and schools but including further education institutions, other work-based learning providers and adult learning provision collected via the Welsh Government’s Lifelong Learning Wales Record (LLWR).