Recently, the Learning and Work Institute published 20 years’ worth of data from the Participation in Learning Survey, highlighting that fewer adults than ever are taking up learning. This, at a time when learning, upskilling and retraining have arguably never been more important, as our economy and society change in response to new technologies and political uncertainties, such as Brexit. 

At our annual conference last week on English, maths and English for speakers of other languages, we extended our focus on this vital issue to look at participation in adult basic skills learning. 

We were delighted once again to organise this long-running sector event with our partners Research and Practice in Adult Literacy, the UCL Institute of Education, the National Association of Teachers of English and other Community Languages to Adults, and the University and College Union. It’s a unique space where policy, practice and research in adult basic skills come together, and this year we were pleased to welcome contributions from the Department for Education, Holex, and a variety of workshop sessions led by practitioners and researchers.

Urgent action required

Nine million adults in the UK have poor English or maths skills, and our conference heard that we risk a national catastrophe if urgent action is not taken, as those with poor skills are increasingly locked out of opportunities in work and the community. The government continues to invest in fully funded English and maths courses up to level 2 for adults, and has announced a new, similar entitlement to basic digital skills provision. Yet, participation in basic-skills learning continues to fall - by about 25 per cent over the past five years - so it is not simply a case of “build it and they will come”. Without the right kinds of encouragement and support, they won’t. 

The reasons for continued drops in participation can be debated, but what’s clear is that, if we are to avoid a national disaster, we need a new national mission on adult basic skills. We heard a lot of ideas at the conference. 

Five things that would help

• Getting employers engaged in English and maths. There’s a huge job to be done to raise awareness of the English functional skills qualifications with employers, as well as helping them to understand the impact of poor basic skills in the workplace.
• Providing better information and more inspirational messaging about English and maths courses for adults. As well as improving the quality of information locally, there also needs to be a positive sell, emphasising the ways in which improving English and maths can benefit people’s work, family and community lives.
• Raising awareness about adult English and maths, to help normalise participation in English and maths learning as an adult and reduce stigma. Everyone needs to be talking about this - not just in colleges and adult-learning centres, but in the places where people go, including job centres, workplaces, surgeries, libraries and community groups.
• Ensuring flexible provision and different kinds of learning. There’s more flexibility than ever in the adult-education budget, but providers need to use this to deliver different and engaging kinds of English and maths learning, whether in the workplace, in the community or online, accredited or non-accredited. There needs to be a place for less formal forms of learning, too, to help engage people before they decide to pursue a qualification. We need to have a better awareness of our learners’ reading and literacy practices, if we are to build on these and make learning relevant and engaging. 
• Practitioner support is vital - to ensure that provision continues to be delivered in ways that meet the needs of adults, while responding to changes such as qualifications reform.

Fittingly, the conference concluded with learner testimonies from Festival of Learning award winners. Andrew Humphries, highly commended in the learning-for-work category, and Maryam Sadoghi, a learner from the Equal Voices project honoured with the President’s Award, highlighted the transformational impact of English and maths learning on their lives. It’s time for government, employers, providers and practitioners to act so that more people realise the same benefits.

Alex Stevenson is head of English, maths and ESOL at the Learning and Work Institute