The National Adult Learning Survey is the most comprehensive national survey of adult learning that has ever been undertaken. It involved interviews with a random sample of over 5,500 adults in England and Wales aged 16 to 69 in spring 1997. Respondents were asked about any learning they had done in the previous three years.

Non-Learners

Those respondents who indicated they had not done any learning in the past three years were classified as 'non-learners'.

Features

• Considerably more women than men were non-learners.

• The mean age of non-learners (48.6 years) was older than that of learners (39.7 years).

• Less than four in ten were in employment.

• Nearly a quarter were looking after family or home.

• Non-learners were mainly in: craft and related occupations (18 per cent); plant and machine operatives (17 per cent); clerical and secretarial (14%); personnel and protective services (12 per cent); and sales (10 per cent).

• Nearly two-thirds of non-learners were in the lower socio-economic groupings: skilled manual (29 per cent); partly skilled (24 per cent); and unskilled (11 per cent).

• About eight in ten left school aged 16 or less.<

• Six in ten had obtained no qualification by the time they left full-time education.

• Only six per cent had received guidance about learning opportunities.

• Eight in ten said they were unlikely to do any future vocational or non-vocational learning.

• A high proportion had negative or neutral attitudes to learning.

• Half said nothing would encourage them to do some learning.

• A minority said they might be encouraged to do learning if available courses were different (12 per cent), or if their employment situation was different (12 per cent).

  Vocational Learners

  Those respondents who had left full time education and who indicated they had done some learning related to their current or future job during the past three years were classified as 'vocational learners'. Their learning could have been either in formal taught learning, or it could have been informal on-the-job learning, or other non-taught learning.

  Features

• Over two-thirds of those who had left full-time education were vocational learners.

• Over eight in ten were in paid work.

• Only six per cent were unemployed and eight per cent looking after family or home.

• There were more men (56 per cent) than women (44 per cent).

• Over half of vocational learners were aged 20-39 years; just under a quarter were aged 40-49; over two in ten were aged 50 plus.

• Nearly four in ten vocational learners were in managerial, professional or associate professional occupations.

• Over nine in ten of all workers in professional or associate professional occupations were vocational learners.

• Over eight in ten of all workers in managerial occupations were vocational learners.

• A third lived in a household with a partner, but no child under 18; a third lived in a household with a partner and a child under 18.

• Only four per cent of vocational learners were single parents with a child under 18.

• The longer people stayed in full-time education, the more likely they were to be vocational learners.

• Nearly nine in ten of those leaving at 21 plus years were vocational learners.

  Learners (Vocational and Leisure)

  Those respondents who had left full-time education and who indicated they had done some learning of any type in the past three years, including learning for leisure activities, were classified as "learners".

  Features

• Nearly three-quarters of those who had left full-time education were learners.

• Over eight in ten of all adults who had left full-time education and were under 40 years of age were learners.

• Over three-quarters were in paid work.

• Only eight per cent were looking after family or home and only five per cent were unemployed and available for work.

• Over two-thirds of partly skilled workers were learners.

• Half of all unskilled workers were learners.

• The higher the qualification obtained on leaving school, the more likely they were to be learners.

The report of the National adult Learning Survey 1997 is available from Prolog (Tel: 0845 602 2260 Fax: 0845 603 3360). Please quote reference NALS97.