AEB Data Publication 2023/24
Ruth Moxon December 2024
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 2023/24.
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
In 2024/25, the Adult Skills Fund (ASF) has replaced the funded Adult Education Budget (AEB). Due to this there will be discontinuity in this data from 2024/25.
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/courses 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/courses will be reported for every level and subject they are participating in.
The AEB is made of up of two funding models: Adult Skills and Community Learning. Adult Skills is class-room based learning that comprises a range of education services for adults that support individual learning and progression of workplace skills.
In contrast to Adult Skills, Community learning includes a range of community based and outreach learning opportunities, primarily managed and delivered by local authorities, special colleges and general further education colleges designed to bring together and support adults. The majority of qualifications in Community Learning are at Other Level.
Free Courses for Jobs (FCFJ) is a targeted Level 3 adult offer to support adults without an existing full Level 3 qualification and adults who meet the definition of ‘low wage’ or ‘unemployed’.
For more information see the methodology information
Learner Participation
There were 223,820 adult learners participating in the AEB programme in the academic year 2023/24. This fell from 230,060 in 2022/23, a fall of 3%. However, participation remains above the participation level for academic years 2019/20-2021/22. The fall in participation is partially explained by an increase in participation at Level 3 and 4.
By funding model, Adult Skills had the larger number of learners (168,700), with Community Learning having 68,550.
Compared to 2022/23, Adult Skills participation decreased by 5 per cent, but there was a rise in participation for Level 3, Level 4 and Other Level.
Community Learning participation rose by 8%, driven by a rise in Entry Level qualifications.
Aim Enrolments
There were 487,700 aims/courses taken over the course of the full 2023/24 academic year. Learners can take more than one aim during the academic year (on average each learner undertakes around 2 aims).
Total aims enrolments remained at a similar level to academic year 2022/23. However, there was a change by funding model with a 7% rise in Community Learning enrolments and a 2% fall in Adult Skills enrolments.
Subject Studied (SSA)
In 2023/24 there was a change in the way Community Learning courses were categorised which means the majority of Community Learning aims/courses no longer have a sector subject area. We have the majority of subject sector areas for Adult Skills which are shown below.
Over half (61%) of all Adult Skills aims enrolments correspond to Preparation for Life and Work courses. 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.
Adult Skills
R14 August - July ILR data, years 2019/20-2023/24.
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 2023/24.
The top 5 London Boroughs with the highest number of learners were Newham (11,530), Southwark (10,330), Croydon (9,980), Lambeth (9,960), and Brent (9,320).
All AEB
Source: R14 August - July 2023/24 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 | 86,410 | 60,960 | 26,930 | 49,870 |
| Aims Enrolments | 186,500 | 132,610 | 55,020 | 113,070 |
Adult Skills
Source: R14 August - July 2023/24 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 | 60,310 | 48,010 | 19,940 | 40,820 |
| Aims Enrolments | 129,140 | 102,460 | 39,110 | 88,680 |
Community Learning
Source: R14 August - July 2023/24 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 | 31,290 | 16,700 | 8,590 | 11,910 |
| Aims Enrolments | 57,360 | 30,150 | 15,910 | 24,390 |
Learner demographics
The AEB continues to help Londoners who face difficulties in the labour market: 69% of learners were women, 61% 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 2019/20-2023/24.
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 2019/20-2023/24.
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 2019/20-2023/24.
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 10 per cent compared to the same period in 2022/23. This is in line with the national picture which saw a fall in English and Maths Essential Skills participation by 6% and 5% respectively.
Some of the fall in entitlements might be explained by the introduction of additional skill programmes. For example, Multiply was introduced in 2022 and provides numeracy skills and Free Courses for Jobs provides Level 3 qualifications. In 2023/24 there was a rise in the number of ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) enrolments (3,390) 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 2019/20-2023/24.
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, decreased by 7%.
In the academic year 2022/23 provision expanded to Learners out of work and outside the benefit arrangement, there was a significant rise in this flexibility in 2023/24 (an additional 11,000 aims, 150%).
R14 August - July ILR data, years 2019/20-2023/24
Free Courses for Jobs
Free Courses for Jobs provides Level 3 qualifications to help adults reskill and upskill, improving their employment prospects. The GLA fully fund learners that meet the eligibility criteria as described in the funding rules.
In academic year 2023/24, there were 9,210 FCFJs enrolments, equivalent to 63% of all Level 3 courses in the AEB.
| 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | |
| Learner Participation | 5,480 | 6,310 | 9,000 |
| Aims Enrolments | 5,510 | 6,380 | 9,210 |
Souce: R14 August - July ILR data, years 2021/22-2023/24
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 2023/24 London Learner Survey will be published in the summer of 2025. The results from the academic years 2021/22 and 2022/23 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.