Adult education
Participation data
Where are we now?
This section of the roadmap provides data on participation rates of adults in focused green skills courses funded through the adult education budget administrated by WMCA over the three years spanning 2020/21 to 2022/23. The flexibility of the adult education budget and wide availability of qualifications has allowed colleges and private training providers, to develop and deliver courses for adults which are specifically focused on technical green skills.
The data is organised into sectoral categories of most relevance to the region’s emerging green economy, namely automotive, construction and building services, electrical installation, energy and utilities, environmental services, and manufacturing. The data shows participation rates on focused green adult education courses in the West Midlands, per 100,000 of population, in comparison to other regions. It is disaggregated by learning aim (course), level, learner home district, age group, gender, ethnicity, and provider type. A short commentary is provided for each sectoral category.
Key data
Automotive
The West Midlands has made a good start in using the adult education budget to offer green upskilling courses for adults in the automotive sector. Predominantly, the offer consists of sector-based work academies, boot camps, and short programmes focusing on electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. The West Midlands leads the way in all regions in this initiative. Colleges serve as the primary providers of adult green skills courses in automotive. Participation is reasonably distributed across the region, with over half the learners studying at Level 3. While there is a diverse representation across different age groups and ethnicities, there is a concerning gender disparity, with only 3% of female participants in automotive green skills courses.
Construction & Buildings Services
The West Midlands has made a good start in using the adult education budget to offer green upskilling opportunities for adults in construction and building services. Numbers have risen significantly since 2021/22. Predominantly, the offer consists of boot camps and short courses focusing on retrofitting. The West Midlands stands on par with London and ahead of all other regions in this initiative. Colleges play a significant role, providing over half of the adult green skills courses in construction and building services. Participation is reasonably distributed across the region, with over half the learners studying at Level 3. While there is a diverse representation across different age groups, there is a concerning gender disparity, with only 1% of female participants in construction and building services green skills courses and an under representation of learner from diverse ethnic backgrounds at 26%.
Electrical Installation
Electrical skills are a prerequisite for the installation of green technologies across many sectors and have therefore been classified as focused green skills courses. The West Midlands has historically high levels of adult participation in electrical installation courses and leads the way in all regions in this initiative. But learner numbers are plateauing. Predominantly, the offer consists of college based one, or two years, programmes. Colleges serve as the primary providers of adult electrical installation courses. Participation is reasonably distributed across the region, with over half the learners studying at Level 3. While there is a diverse representation across different age groups, there is a concerning gender disparity, with only 4% of female participants in electrical installation courses.
Energy & Utilities
The West Midlands has little adult participation in adult courses in energy and utilities and is significantly behind other regions.
The small amount of provision is almost exclusively at Level 1 and in the Warwickshire region.
Environmental Services
The West Midlands has relatively little adult participation in adult courses in environmental and is behind other regions. Colleges do not provide adult programmes in environmental services.
The small amount of provision is almost exclusively at Level 1 and in the Birmingham area.
Manufacturing
The West Midlands has relatively little adult participation in adult courses in green manufacturing, except for a handful of programmes delivered from Dudley. These are relatively new programmes with modest growth in learner numbers. While there is a diverse representation across different age groups, there is a concerning gender disparity, with no female participants and an under representation of learners from diverse backgrounds at 28%. Nationally adult education budgets are not used to support programmes in green manufacturing.
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Case Studies
Partnering with Dyson Energy Services and Westdale Midlands Ltd, Coventry College has developed a green skills insulation technician bootcamp to address skills shortages in energy-efficient retrofit services. The bootcamp, funded through the Strategic Development Fund, offers training in various insulation measures and in giving energy efficiency advice. Learners are recruited from referral networks across the West Midlands. They undergo rigorous training and interviews with around half of bootcamp participants securing permanent employment in retrofit because of the programme.
Attending the insulation bootcamp and then joining Dyson Energy Services has been career changing for me. Being able to help communities very similar to the one I was raised in has such a rewarding feeling – that feeling of making a difference!
North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College has seized the opportunity presented by the emerging hydrogen fuel cell technology. With a grant from the Strategic Development Fund, the college collaborated with hydrogen technology industry leaders in the development of tailored training programmes for local businesses, particularly those in logistics and transport. These include a one-day introduction to hydrogen course, a more comprehensive three-day programme covering operational skills for hydrogen vehicles, and with the support of National Express, an advanced three-day course on hydrogen vehicle systems.
I reached out to National Express and Hydrogen Vehicle Systems as they are industry leaders in research, development, and the operation of hydrogen vehicles. Collaborating closely with employers helps us keep up to speed with the ever-evolving landscape of decarbonising transportation in the UK.
