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Evaluation of the
Adult Learning Grant
In July 2003 the Government
announced in its Skills Strategy the piloting of the Adult Learning
Grant (ALG) (Realising our Potential, 2003). The ALG is a means-tested
grant for adults and provides financial support (up to £30
per week during term time) to adults studying full-time for their
first level 2 qualification, and young adults studying full-time
for their first full level 3 qualification. The ALG contributes
to the government's 2010 target to achieve a 40 per cent reduction
in the number of adults in the workforce lacking any qualifications
up to level 2.
In September 2003, the ALG was launched in ten
pilot sites across England and extended to an additional nine sites in 2004. Payments of grants are subject to strict
attendance requirements which are monitored by learning providers.
The ALG evaluation, commissioned by the then Department
for Education and Skills (DfES) and the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), is being conducted by a consortium
of organisations. The consortium is led by the Centre for Research
in Social Policy (CRSP) at Loughborough
University, and includes the National
Centre for Social Research (NatCen), the Institute
for Fiscal Studies (IFS) and the National
Institute for Careers Education and Counselling (NICEC).
The
CRSP team comprises Elspeth
Pound (Project Leader), Monica
Magadi, Yekaterina Chzhen, Viet-Hai Phung and Rebecca Hand.
The evaluation aims to:
- Evaluate the impact of the ALG on retention,
attainment and progression of learners.
- Examine the effect of the ALG on the level
of qualification, type of learning and working patterns of learners.
- Explore implementation of the ALG at local
level.
- Identify good practice.
The evaluation design has both qualitative and
quantitative elements. Quantitative techniques, comprising large
scale longitudinal surveys of two cohorts of learners in pilot areas,
will be undertaken to address aims 1, 2 and 4. Surveys will take
place in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Qualitative techniques are being adopted
to address aims 3 and 4.
The findings
from the qualitative element were reported to the DfES
in October 2004 and the first wave of the cohort 1 survey was reported in 2005.
Project timescale
October 2003 - March 2007.
Publications
Magadi, M., Chzhen, Y., Pound, E., Phung, V-H., Tanner, E., Michaelson, J., Finch, S. and Mackenzie, H. (2006), Evaluation of the Adult Learning Grant Cohort 1 (Waves 1 and 2), Learning and Skills Council, National Office, Coventry.
Pound, E., Chzhen, Y., Magadi, M., Phung, V-H., Michaelson, J., Finch, S., Tanner, E. and Mackenzie, H. (2006), Evaluation of the Adult Learning Grant Cohort 2 (Wave 1), Learning and Skills Council, National Office, Coventry.
Pound, E., Maguire, M., Middleton, S. and Ashton-Brooks, K. (2004), A Qualitative Investigation into the First Year (Pilot) Implementation of the Adult Learning Grant, Loughborough: CRSP Working Paper 511.
Related project
Evaluation of the Education Maintenance Allowance
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