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Train to Gain: Wave 5 Learner Survey

Levesley T, Bellis A, Regan J
Learning and Skills Council, January 2010

a study commissioned by the Learning and Skills Council

This report documents the findings from the fifth wave of the learner evaluation of Train to Gain – a service managed by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) that is designed to help employers improve the skills of their workforce. The evaluation has been running since 2007.

This wave comprised a telephone survey of a representative sample of learners, carried out in July 2009. The survey invited the views of Train to Gain learners on Level 2 and Level 3 programmes. In total, 7,431 learners were interviewed, as follows:

• a cohort of 1,357 Level 2 and 274 Level 3 learners who had also been interviewed during Wave 4 six months earlier. This group is referred to as the ‘longitudinal learners’ group
• a cohort of 4,800 Level 2 and 1,000 Level 3 learners. These learners had enrolled on their training more recently and had not previously taken part in the survey. This group is referred to as the ‘new entrant’ group.

Each of the five waves of the Train to Gain learner evaluation have demonstrated that training and qualifications funded or facilitated through Train to Gain are valued by, and demonstrates benefits to, the learners who take part.

Satisfaction is high, but strength of feeling has fallen for new entrants

For the fifth consecutive wave, and in both survey groups, more than 90 per cent of completers were satisfied with their training:

• 94 per cent in the longitudinal group and 92 per cent in the new entrant group were satisfied with their training overall
• 93 per cent in the longitudinal group and 92 per cent in the new entrant group were satisfied with quality of the teaching.

However, among new entrants, satisfaction on the LSC’s key measure of the highest satisfaction ratings – has fallen in this wave:

• 66 per cent of new entrants were extremely or very satisfied with their training overall compared with 76 per cent in Wave 4
• 70 per cent in the new entrant group were extremely or very satisfied with quality of the teaching compared with 78 per cent in Wave 4
• In the longitudinal group, 70 per cent were extremely or very satisfied with their training overall and 72 per cent were extremely or very satisfied with quality of the teaching – these figures were similar to those in the comparable Wave 3 longitudinal survey.

Skills and qualifications are the main drivers to participation

The Wave 5 survey reinforced the appeal to employees of gaining qualifications and increasing their skills in order to further their career. These factors, rather than pay or promotion, remained the main motivation for taking part in Train to Gain. Most current learners in the new entrants survey expected to:

• gain a qualification (89 per cent)
• gain skills that would look good to future employers (85 per cent)
• learn something new (81 per cent)
• gain skills that would help them in their current job (80 per cent).

Outcomes mirrored the learners expectations and remained positive for most learners:

• 88 per cent of new entrants and 93 per cent of longitudinal learners said they had gained ‘a qualification’
• 84 per cent of new entrants and 92 per cent of longitudinal learners said they had gained skills beneficial to future employers.

The outcomes were tangible and attributable to Train to Gain. Among longitudinal learners:

• 78 per cent said they had gained practical skills related to their job and 90 per cent reported that they had used these skills
• 44 per cent said that they had experienced a positive change (such as better pay) since completing their training and attributed this change to their training.

Train to Gain is an active choice for learners

While the previous two evaluation waves showed increasing collaboration between employer and employee in initiating the training, this collaborative approach was less evident in the latest wave as more learners felt that they alone or their employers alone made the decision;

• 36 per cent of new entrants felt the training had been jointly initiated by themselves and their employer, compared with 49 per cent in Wave 4
• 30 per cent felt that the decision was initiated only by them (24 per cent in Wave 4)
• 34 per cent felt that the decision was initiated only by their employer (28 per cent in Wave 4).

Yet even when the employers initiated the training, most learners still exercised choice over whether or not to take part:

• 64 per cent of learners whose employers initiated the training felt that they had had ‘a great deal’ or ‘a fair amount’ of say in taking part in the training (68 per cent in Wave 4 and 57 per cent in Wave 3).

Advice and guidance is good, but is harder to find

As in previous waves, learners felt that they were well supported, however, in the latest wave of the evaluation, there was evidence of a decline in the number of learners having pre-entry discussions:

• 61 per cent of new entrants in Wave 5 said they had had a discussion about their learning prior to starting the programme (decreasing from 67 per cent in Wave 3 and 65 per cent in Wave 4).

Many learners had discussions with employers, tutors or assessors at the outset of their learning to ensure that they followed the most appropriate programmes. Participation in these pre-entry assessments has remained fairly stable over successive waves:

• 88 per cent had at least one form of pre-entry assessment (87 per cent in Wave 4)
• 70 per cent had a discussion about their qualifications, 63 per cent were asked about English, maths or language skills, and 58 per cent were assessed against the requirements of the qualification.

The quality of the information provided at the outset of the training was rated as either very good or fairly good by the majority of new entrants, specifically:

• how they would be assessed (85 per cent)
• how long the training would take to complete (84 per cent)
• what the training would involve (83 per cent)
• the amount of time needed to commit to the training (82 per cent).

Learners get the support they need

Learners appeared to be well supported throughout their training or qualifications. They also received the kind of support they felt was important:

• 92 per cent said they had help understanding how tasks related to evidence for their qualification, 98 per cent of all respondents felt this was important
• 86 per cent had regular discussion with their tutor/assessor, 97 per cent felt that this was important
• 78 per cent said there was no other support that they would have liked.

Awareness of Train to Gain has fallen among learners

After a significant rise in the early waves, and a levelling off in Wave 4, awareness of Train to Gain has declined slightly:

• 73 per cent of new entrants had heard of Train to Gain, compared to 77 per cent in Wave 4 and 76 per cent in Wave 3
• 46 per cent of those who had heard of Train to Gain did not know that their training was funded by it (34 per cent in Wave 4).

Learners complete more quickly, but find the going tougher

There was some evidence in Wave 5 that learners completed their training and qualifications more quickly:

• The average time to complete for new entrants was 12 weeks, compared with 16 weeks in Wave 4
• The longitudinal group showed a similar, though less marked trend, completing in 39 weeks compared with 41 in Wave 3.

Longitudinal learners were finding their training increasingly challenging

• 61 per cent of completers found their training to be very or fairly challenging (58 per cent in Wave 3 was previously the highest rating)
• 23 per cent experienced some problems during their training (compared with 19 per cent for Wave 3).

Further learning is increasingly likely

Nearly one-third (30 per cent) of longitudinal learners who had completed their training or qualifications had already started further training, an increase from 18 per cent in Wave 3. Further learning was a goal for many others:

• 35 per cent of longitudinal learners felt that it was very likely that they would undertake training at a higher level within the next three years (18 per cent in Wave 3)
• 44 per cent of new entrants said it was very likely that they would undertake training at a higher level within the next three years (44 per cent Wave 4)
• 52 per cent of early leavers felt that it was very likely that they would sign up for training in the future (47 per cent Wave 4).

While it is likely that survey participants would have a more positive attitude to learning than the wider population, positive attitudes to learning prevailed and participation in Train to Gain appeared to reinforce these attitudes. Among the longitudinal learners:

88 per cent felt more confident in their ability to learn;

84 per cent felt more positive about learning than when they started the course.

Learners were also asked about the impact of the recent recession on their plans for future learning. Most learners in both survey groups felt that the recession had had no effect on their intentions to learn in the future, however 33 per cent of new entrants and 28 per cent of longitudinal learners said the recession made it more likely they would undertake further study.

In this wave, the longitudinal data tells us that, as time passes, more learners feel that there is an appropriate match between their job and their skills – 13 percentage points higher than the same group felt one year ago.

Train to Gain: Wave 5 Learner Survey, Levesley T, Bellis A, Regan J. , Learning and Skills Council, 2010.
ISBN: (no ISBN). Bound copy: £free

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