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Welsh Government
Data Provider: Welsh Government National Statistics Highest qualification levels of working age adults by economic activity and qualification
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[Collapse]Gender[Filtered]
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Gender 1[Filter]
Year[Filtered]
Measure1
QualificationNational Qualification Framework (NQF) level of the highest qualification held. Data have previously been presented as NVQ equivalencies. From September 2004, the National Qualification Framework (NQF) was expanded and the former levels 4 and 5 were divided into more precise levels (4-8). Data are now presented according to this classification. Some additional qualifications have been added to the the list included on the LFS questionnaire for 2004, which will slightly improve the estimates. A full list of the qualifications included for each NQF level can be found in the StatsWales folder that contained this table. However the following are EXAMPLE qualifications that included at each level:Below level 2: NVQ level 1, Entry Level qualifications, Basic SkillsLevel 2: NVQ level 2 or equivalent, 5 or more GCSE A*-C, 2 AS levelsLevel 3: 2 A level passes, 4 AS level passes, NVQ level 3, Advanced Welsh BaccLevels 4-6: First degrees, Foundation degrees, NVQ level 4Levels 7-8: Postgraduate qualifications, NVQ level 5 [Filtered]
[Collapse]Econ ActivityEconomic activity of working age adults. Excludes those in full-time education. Economic activity are presented according to whether they are in employment, ILO unemployed (i.e unemployed according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) definition) or economically inactive. [Filter]
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Econ Activity 1
Click here to sortAll personsClick here to sortNo qualificationsPersons who reported holding no qualificationsClick here to sortQualified to NQF level 2 or abovePersons who are qualified to at least NQF level 2 and includes persons qualified to a higher levelClick here to sortQualified to NQF level 3 or abovePersons who are qualified to at least NQF level 3 and includes persons qualified to a higher levelClick here to sortQualified to NQF level 4 or abovePersons who are qualified to at least NQF level 4 and includes persons qualified to a higher level
[Collapse]In employmentIn employment607.5358.6649.5667.9679.5
[Collapse]Not in employment (ILO unemployed or inactive)192.5441.4150.5132.1120.5
Not in employment (ILO unemployed or inactive)ILO unemployed26.938.523.020.317.6
Economically inactive165.4402.9127.6112.0102.9
[Expand]Total800.0800.0800.0800.0800.0

Metadata

General description

Data are presented for working age adults i.e. on basis of males and females aged 18-64 – according to their age at the start of the academic year. Note that data for working age adults, on the basis of males and females aged 18-64, are only available from 2008 onwards.

Contact: Post16ed.stats@gov.wales

Data collection and calculation

Source: Annual Population Survey, Office for National Statistics

The data are based on the results of the Annual Population Survey for 2008 onwards, a household survey carried out by the Office for National Statistics.

The survey asks respondents for the highest qualification that they hold. The highest qualifications are subsequently grouped into National Qualification Framework (NQF) levels. Figures are provided for those obtaining qualifications at least at a certain level, and qualifications up to and including a certain level.

Data have previously been presented as NVQ equivalencies. From September 2004, the National Qualification Framework (NQF) was expanded and the former levels 4 and 5 were divided into more precise levels (4-8). Data are now presented according to this classification.

Frequency of publication

Annual

Data reference periods

Since 2004, the annual data have been produced on a rolling annual basis, updated every three months. The rolling annual averages are on a calendar basis with the first rolling annual average presented here covering the period 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2008.

Users, uses and context

The statistics are used within the Welsh Government to monitor trends in qualification levels and specifically are included within the Skills Performance measures and the Tackling Poverty Action Plan.

Rounding applied

Percentages are rounded to one decimal place.

Revisions information

Since the previous publication, the Annual Population Survey data back to 2020 has been reweighted, and this StatsWales cube has been updated with these new data. The reweighted data has made a slight change to data for 2020.

Title

Levels of highest qualifications held by working age adults by economic activity and gender

Last update

April 2022 April 2022

Next update

April 2023 (provisional)

Publishing organisation

Welsh Government

Source 1

Annual Population Survey, Office for National Statistics

Contact email

post16ed.stats@gov.wales

Designation

National Statistics

Lowest level of geographical disaggregation

Wales

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

Statistical quality

As the data come from a survey, the results are sample-based estimates and therefore subject to differing degrees of sampling variability, i.e. the true value for any measure lies in a differing range about the estimated value. This range or sampling variability increases as the detail in the data increases; for example local authority data are subject to higher variability than regional data.

Keywords

Qualifications