Boost to 'High Priority' Courses

TrainingZone

Boost to ‘High Priority’ Courses

By TrainingZone

More learners than ever in Further Education are participating in longer, "high priority" courses, including literacy and numeracy, full Level 2 and Level 3, according to government figures.

A Statistical First Release on learner enrolments for 2006/07 shows more adults than ever undertaking courses in basic and Level 2 skills.

The figures relate solely to publicly funded programmes the government says that further research will show that in 2006/07 an additional 90,000 learners are taking self-funded courses.

The research shows:

The number of young learners (aged under 19) increased by 5.1% over 2005 to 688,000.

Participation by young learners on full level 2 and full level 3 programmes was up by 10.2% and 7.6% respectively.

The number of adult learners participating in Skills for Life programmes in 2006 was up by 17.1% on 2005 to 155,700.

The number of adult learners on full level 2 programmes increased by 7.3%.

Welcoming the figures Minister for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education, Bill Rammell said: “The increases in adult full Level 2 provision (GCSE equivalent) and the fact that we have reached our interim target of 1 million adults achieving their first full Level 2 qualification is good news for the economy and the country.”