Adult learning strategy: island and communities impact assessment

4. Population Data

4.1.1 Community Learning and Development (CLD) includes the provision of youth work, adult learning, (including generic community based learning, adult literacies and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and support for communities to improve the equality of opportunity. National data on CLD provision is not currently collected. Unpublished research conducted by CLD Managers Scotland suggests that 91,710 adults were engaged in CLD activity across all thirty-two local authorities during 2019/20. This number does not include adult learners who accessed third sector provision, or the specific number of adults engaged in CLD adult learning in island communities.

4.1.2 Early engagement in the development of the strategy highlighted the lack of data collected for adult learning. A strategic action to develop coherent and consistent data and measurements based on methods used across Scotland was developed as a result. Island communities will be an integral part of research to determine data for key indicators for adult learning as the strategy is delivered.

4.1.3 The 2011 Census shows the percentages of people aged 16-64 years old in each local authority area with inhabited islands:^[4]

Table 1: Percentage of people aged 16-64 in local authority areas with inhabited islands

Local Authority: %

• Argyll and Bute: 61.7
• Highland: 63.6
• Na h-Eileanan Siar: 61.5
• North Ayrshire: 63.5
• Orkney: 63.3
• Shetland: 64.4

4.1.4 This data shows there is not a significant difference in the proportion of adults across islands communities who could potentially benefit from the increased adult learning opportunities that the strategy aims to deliver. There is also no significant difference in the percentage of the population aged 16-64 years old across Scotland (65.9%)^[5] compared to island communities. The adult learning strategy aims to drive to bring about systemic change and drive improvements in the learning experience for adults in all of Scotland's communities.

4.1.5 A key strategic action is to increase access to and support for accredited learning, so that more opportunities are created and available for adult learners with few or no qualifications.

4.1.6 Scottish Government data shows the percentage of adults with qualifications below NVQ2 in each local authority area with inhabited islands:^[6]

Table 2: Percentage of adults with qualifications below NVQ2 in local authority areas with inhabited islands

Local Authority: %

• Argyll and Bute: 14.86
• Highland: 15.1
• Na h-Eileanan Siar: 12.69
• North Ayrshire: 19.08
• Orkney: 15.57
• Shetland: 14.62

4.1.7 This data shows that there is not a significant difference in the proportion of adults with qualifications below NVQ2 on island communities. The same data set shows that 18.61% of Scotland's population have qualifications below NVQ2. It is worth noting that only a small percentage of Argyll and Bute, Highland and North Ayrshire are on, as both tables 1 and 2 show, the percentage of adults ages 16-64 and the proportion of those adults with qualifications below NVQ2 does not vary significantly between exclusively island based local authorities, mainland local authorities, and those authorities with a mix of both island and mainland populations.