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Welsh Government
Data Provider: Welsh Government National Statistics Unique learners enrolled at further education institutions by home country, gender and age group
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Academic yearAcademic years run from 1 August of the initial year to 31 July of the following year.[Filtered]
[Collapse]Mode of studyAny learners pursuing a work-based learning designated learning programme at a further education institution have been categorised as work-based learning. Full-time and part-time learners are determined using the learning programme code, with priority being given to full-time learning programmes. Prior to 2014/15, full-time learners are defined as those with at least 450 guided contact hours across all learning programmes in the academic year.[Filtered]
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Mode of study 1[Filter]
[Collapse]Programme levelThis dimension gives the level of the learning programme undertaken by the learner. In this instance, work-based learning programmes are given priority over higher education and further education programmes.[Filtered]
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Programme level 1[Filter]
[Collapse]Age groupThis dimension gives the age of the learner at 31 August of the academic year. [Filtered]
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Age group 1[Filter]
Measure1
[Collapse]Gender[Filter]
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Gender 1
[Collapse]Home countryThis dimension gives the country in which the learner is domiciled. This dimension is based on both information recorded directly on the LLWR and on the learner\'s home postcode, as opposed to the \'domiciled in\' field which is only based on the learner\'s home postcode. Inconsistencies between the recorded country of domicile and home postcode account for slight differences between the two dimensions. [Filter]
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Home country 1
[Collapse]All learnersThe all persons total includes a small number of learners not identifying as male or female.Click here to sortAll learnersThe all persons total includes a small number of learners not identifying as male or female.
Click here to sortMaleClick here to sortFemale
[Collapse]All countries340,910364,805707,555
All countriesWales331,785358,910692,505
England8,8155,67514,525
Scotland135*The data item is disclosive or not sufficiently robust for publication175
Northern Ireland*The data item is disclosive or not sufficiently robust for publication*The data item is disclosive or not sufficiently robust for publication*The data item is disclosive or not sufficiently robust for publication
UK not known*The data item is disclosive or not sufficiently robust for publication*The data item is disclosive or not sufficiently robust for publication*The data item is disclosive or not sufficiently robust for publication
Channel Islands and Isle of Man*The data item is disclosive or not sufficiently robust for publication*The data item is disclosive or not sufficiently robust for publication*The data item is disclosive or not sufficiently robust for publication
Other EU*The data item is disclosive or not sufficiently robust for publication*The data item is disclosive or not sufficiently robust for publication70
Other overseas100125235

Metadata

Title

Unique learners in further education in Wales

Last update

27 February 2024 27 February 2024

Next update

February 2025

Publishing organisation

Welsh Government

Source 1

Lifelong Learning Wales Record, Welsh Government

Contact email

post16ed.stats@gov.wales

Designation

National Statistics

Lowest level of geographical disaggregation

Local authorities

Geographical coverage

Wales

Languages covered

English only

Data licensing

You may use and re-use this data free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government License - see http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence

General description

This table provides the number of learners enrolled at further education (FE) institutions in Wales. The data includes work-based learning provision at FE institutions on a consortium member basis and local authority community learning where there is a formal enrolment with an FE institution.

Learner counts are provided on a 'unique learner' basis which uses the unique learner identifier in the underlying data. This eliminates any element of multiple-counting where a learner is enrolled at two or more FE institutions in the academic year.

This is one of two tables that provide counts on a 'unique learner' basis. The other table, which offers different dimensions for the data to be broken down by, can be found under the Weblinks tab.

All figures are rounded to the nearest multiple of 5. Any values greater than 0 and less than 5 have been suppressed and replaced with an asterisk (*)

Data collection and calculation

From 2016/17 onwards all data in the table is calculated using the month 5 freeze of the Lifelong Learning Wales Record (LLWR). This freeze is produced close to the end of the December after the academic year in question finishes. For example, the freeze containing the 2022/23 data was taken close to the end of December 2023.
Prior to 2016/17 data in the table was calculated using the month 7 freeze of the Lifelong Learning Wales Record (LLWR). This freeze was produced close to the end of the February after the academic year in question finishes. For example, the freeze containing the 2015/16 data was taken close to the end of February 2017.

Frequency of publication

Annual

Data reference periods

Data in the table is presented on an academic year basis, which runs from 1st August - 31st July.

Users, uses and context

The data in this table are used both within and outside the Welsh Government to monitor educational trends and as a baseline for further analysis of the underlying data. Some of the key users are:

Ministers and the Members Research Service in the National Assembly for Wales
Officials in the Welsh Government
Other government departments
Further Education Institutions, Work-Based Learning providers and local authorities
Estyn, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education and Training in Wales
Students, researchers, and academics
Individual citizens, private companies, and the media

These statistics are used in a variety of ways. Some examples of these are:

General background and research
Inclusion in reports and briefings
Advice to Ministers
Informing and evaluating the education policy-making process in Wales

LLWR data are used to underpin funding and performance reports for learning providers, to calculate NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) figures and in student finance modelling

Rounding applied

All figures in the table have been rounded to the closest multiple of 5. All non-zero values less than 5 have been suppressed and are denoted by an asterisk (*).

Statistical quality

Statisticians within the Welsh Government review the data and query any anomalies with the LLWR data collection team and, where relevant, with learning providers before tables are published.

The LLWR data underlying this table are intended to be final, for non-funding purposes.

Weblinks

http://gov.wales/statistics-and-research/further-education-work-based-learning-community-learning-statistics/ - Further education, work-based learning and community learning statistics: an annual publication which this table provides part of a digital alternative with improved interactivity. Previous publications of this release provide data for the academic years 2006/07 - 2011/12, and there are no current plans to update this table to include data previous to 2012/13.

https://statswales.wales.gov.uk/Catalogue/Education-and-Skills/Post-16-Education-and-Training/Further-Education-and-Work-Based-Learning/Learners/Further-Education/uniquelearnersenrolledfurthereducationinstitutions-by-domicile-age - A second report which provides data on unique learners enrolled at further education institutions. Learner numbers in this report can be broken down by region of domicile, ethnicity, and primary learning difficulty or disability status.

Keywords

Lifelong Learning Wales Record LLWR Further Education FE Post 16 P16