AEB Data Publication 2022/23
Ruth Moxon December 2023
From 1 August 2019, the Secretary of State for Education delegated responsibility for the commissioning, delivery and management of London’s Adult Education Budget (AEB) to the Mayor.
The AEB data publication contains summary statistics on Further Education and Skills in London, covering a range of data on learner participation, enrolment and achievement, including Mayoral areas of interest. This release is based on data for the full academic year 2022/23.
This dashboard allows for exploration of some of the key trends in the data, for further information see the AEB Data Publication Note and Data Tables
Key Points
Methodology
Figures include learners and learning that is active at any point during the publication period.
Aims enrolments is the count of the relevant learning aims reported in the Individualised Learner Record (ILR). Learners may be enrolled in more than one learning aim.
Learner participation is the count of unique learners who meet the breakdown shown in a table or chart. Therefore, a single learner may be counted more than once in a learner participation chart or table and breakdowns may not sum to the total count of unique learners. For example, a learner taking multiple aims will be reported for every level and subject they are participating in.
For more information see the methodology information
Learner Participation
There were 230,060 adult learners participating in the AEB programme in the academic year 2022/23. This increased from 221,280 in 2021/22, a rise of 4%.
By funding model, Adult Skills had the larger number of learners (178,050), with Community Learning having 63,260.
Compared to 2021/22, Adult Skills participation increased by 5 per cent with a rise in participation across all Levels, except Level 1 which experienced a small reduction
Community learning participation rose by 3%, driven by a rise in Other Level qualifications (which make up the vast majority of community learning).
Community Learning
R14 August - July ILR data, years 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23
Aim Enrolments
There were 487,100 aims taken over the course of the full 2022/23 academic year. Learners can take more than one aim during the academic year (on average each learner undertakes around 2 aims).
Total aims enrolments increased by 5 per cent compared to 463,660 in the same period in 2021/22. This increase is predominantly explained by increases in Adult Skill enrolments.
Overall, trends in level and funding model are similar across learner participation and aim enrolments.
Community Learning
R14 August - July ILR data, years 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23
Subject Studied (SSA)
Half of all AEB aims enrolments correspond to Preparation for Life and Work courses (the vast majority is funded via Adult Skills). Preparation for life and work prepares learners for employment and provides Maths and English skills. It also helps the learners outside of work by teaching skills for independence and personal development.
Since 2019/20, there have been substantial increases in some subjects associated with the Mayor’s priority sectors:
Arts, Media and Publishing increased by 5,210 (9%)
Health, Public Services and Care increased by 11,310 (37%)
Information and Communication Technology increased by 8,240 (42%)
Construction, Planning and the Built Environment increased by 5,070 (63%)
Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies increased by 3,560 (122%)
All AEB
R14 August - July ILR data, years 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22 and
2022/23.
Note: Subjects are based on the Sector Subject Areas tier
one.
Adult Skills
R14 August - July ILR data, years 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22 and
2022/23.
Note: Subjects are based on the Sector Subject Areas tier
one.
Community Learning
R14 August - July ILR data, years 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22 and
2022/23.
Note: Subjects are based on the Sector Subject Areas tier
one.
Learner location
The London AEB supports Londoners across London: all of the Sub-Regional Partnerships and London Boroughs showed significant activity in 2022/23.
The top 5 London Boroughs with the highest number of learners were Newham (12,770), Lambeth (10,200), Southwark (10,240), Croydon (10,150) and Tower Hamlets (10,030).
All AEB
Source: R14 August - July 2022/23 ILR data.
Contains Ordnance Survey
data Crown copyright and database rights [2015].
Note: underlying
data are based on the learner’s home postcode on the learning start date
and excludes records without a valid postcode.
Sub-regional partnership
| Measure | Central London Forward | Local London | South London Partnership | West London Alliance |
| Learner Participation | 88,350 | 63,950 | 27,430 | 50,910 |
| Aims Enrolments | 186,830 | 132,890 | 54,930 | 112,020 |
Adult Skills
Source: R14 August - July 2022/23 ILR data.
Contains Ordnance Survey
data Crown copyright and database rights [2015].
Note: underlying
data are based on the learner’s home postcode on the learning start date
and excludes records without a valid postcode.
Sub-regional partnership
| Measure | Central London Forward | Local London | South London Partnership | West London Alliance |
| Learner Participation | 64,430 | 51,300 | 20,720 | 42,120 |
| Aims Enrolments | 133,800 | 103,770 | 40,240 | 89,630 |
Community Learning
Source: R14 August - July 2022/23 ILR data.
Contains Ordnance Survey
data Crown copyright and database rights [2015].
Note: underlying
data are based on the learner’s home postcode on the learning start date
and excludes records without a valid postcode.
Sub-regional partnership
| Measure | Central London Forward | Local London | South London Partnership | West London Alliance |
| Learner Participation | 28,990 | 15,400 | 7,940 | 11,330 |
| Aims Enrolments | 53,010 | 29,170 | 14,690 | 22,400 |
Learner demographics
The AEB continues to help Londoners who face difficulties in the labour market: 69% of learners were women, 59% were from a Black, Asian or Minority ethnic background and 15% had a disability or learning difficulty.
Since 2019/20 the background characteristics of learners in the AEB has been relatively stable.
There are some notable differences by Funding Model in terms of Ethnicity and Age. Compared to Community Learning, Adult Skills engaged a higher proportion of learners from Black, Asian and Minority ethnic backgrounds and younger learners.
All AEB
R14 August - July ILR data, years 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23.
Note: Age is based on learner’s age on 31st August of the academic
year.
LLDD stands for learning difficulty and/or disability and/or
health problem. Learning difficulty and/or disability and/or health
problem is based on self-declaration by the learner.
The percentage
calculation for the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic and White learners
here are based on excluding instances of unknown ethnicity.
The
percentage calculation for LLDD learners here are based on excluding
instances of unknown LLDD status.
Adult Skills
R14 August - July ILR data, years 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23.
Note: Age is based on learner’s age on 31st August of the academic
year.
LLDD stands for learning difficulty and/or disability and/or
health problem. Learning difficulty and/or disability and/or health
problem is based on self-declaration by the learner.
The percentage
calculation for the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic and White learners
here are based on excluding instances of unknown ethnicity.
The
percentage calculation for LLDD learners here are based on excluding
instances of unknown LLDD status.
Community Learning
R14 August - July ILR data, years 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23.
Note: Age is based on learner’s age on 31st August of the academic
year.
LLDD stands for learning difficulty and/or disability and/or
health problem. Learning difficulty and/or disability and/or health
problem is based on self-declaration by the learner.
The percentage
calculation for the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic and White learners
here are based on excluding instances of unknown ethnicity.
The
percentage calculation for LLDD learners here are based on excluding
instances of unknown LLDD status.
Entitlements
Basics skills are essential in enabling people to function in society and progress in learning and employment. Therefore, the legal entitlements play a key role amongst eligible adult learners taking English and Maths, Digital and Level 2 and Level 3 learning.
In terms of learner participation, entitlements decreased by around 8 per cent compared to the same period in 2021/22.
Some of the fall in entitlements is explained by the introduction of additional skill programmes. For example, Multiply is a new programme providing numeracy skills and Free Courses for Jobs provides Level 3 qualifications. In 2022/23 there was a rise in the number of ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) enrolments which may partially explain a fall in English entitlements.
More information can be found on London.Gov on the London Multiply Programme and Free Courses for Jobs
R14 August - July ILR data, years 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22 and
2022/23.
Note: Entitlement learning is learning taken as part of the
legal entitlements to full funding for eligible adult learners for
English and Maths, Digital and Level 2 and Level 3 learning.Levels are
based on the notional NVQ level version two.
AEB Flexibilities
The AEB Flexibilities allow adult learning in London to be tailored to the needs of Londoners.
The largest flexibility, learners in receipt of low wage, increased by 14% or 3,380 leaners since 2021/22.
In the Academic Year 2022/23 provision expanded to Learners out of work and outside the benefit arrangement, which funded 7,200 learners.R14 August - July ILR data, years 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23
More information
More information about the Adult Education Budget can be found on the London.Gov website.
Additional breakdowns of AEB further education statistics, not covered in this note, are published online on the London datastore. These include for instance, breakdowns by funding model, level of learning and background characteristics, and detailed figures by Sector Subject Area (Tier 1 and Tier 2).
The outcomes of the GLA’s AEB are monitored through the London Learner Survey (LLS). Through the London Learner Survey (LLS), the GLA are measuring how learners’ lives change after they complete their learning, whether that is, for instance, improvements in their health and wellbeing, progression in work or learning or entering new employment.
Results for the 2022/23 London Learner Survey will be published in the summer of 2024. The results from the previous academic year (2021/22) and methodological information can be accessed on the datastore: London Learner Survey
For information on apprenticeships in London (which are not part of the AEB or devolved), see Apprenticeship Statistics for London
All media enquiries should be emailed to the Mayor’s Press Office, and we will respond as quickly as possible.
For urgent media enquiries outside office hours and at weekends please call: 020 7983 4000 and ask for the duty press officer.
Other enquiries should be emailed to Ruth Moxon.