Editorial Comment:

Focus of Study

The ‘Skill Choice’ programme was launched in 13 English, and subsequently 4 Scottish and Welsh LEC/TEC areas, in 1993. Its primary focus was on enabling people (mainly employed adults) to take stock of their existing skills, plan their future developments, and acquire qualifications. The report indicates that some 94,500 individuals received guidance as part of the programme between 1993/5, and that 87% of Skill Choice users were employed.

The national evaluation undertook in-depth work in 12 TEC and LEC areas, and alongside visits, undertook an analysis of MIS data, and four telephone surveys of clients (over 3,000 interviews) to assess effectiveness.

The follow-up surveys (typically undertaken one year after initial contact with Skill Choice) were the primary source of information on the economic impact of the programme, and covered some 1,335 predominantly employed clients.

Key findings

The main reason for employed clients using Skill Choice through their employer was to achieve improved skills or qualifications, though about one in ten did so because they expected to be made redundant. Most employed clients using Skill Choice - other than through their employer - wanted career or job change, though a secondary aim was often skills improvement. 30% of the clients surveyed achieved training outcomes, and 9% achieved employment outcomes.

The research applied an 'additionality factor' of some 37% to these findings, and estimated that Skill Choice raised the proportion of these clients gained training outcomes by 11 percentage points, and the proportion gaining employment outcomes by three percentage points. The outcomes achieved by unemployed clients (32% training outcomes; 11% employment outcomes) were slightly higher than for those in employment.

The total cost of the programme (capital, fixed, and variable) was estimated to be £126 per client on average. Using this figure and data generated by the client survey - given certain stated caveats - the cost of additional Skill Choice outcomes was estimated to be £837. The research recognises this calculation does not include an estimate of intangible (e.g. learning outcomes), and prospective outcomes (e.g. unemployed clients taking training courses which subsequently lead to jobs).

The research concluded that client surveys indicated significant proportions of participating individuals have been persuaded of the benefits to them of training and development, and that it helped employers to allocate human resources more effectively through better knowledge of employees’ skills and training needs. 37% of interviewees reported that their attitude towards training had improved as a result of Skill Choice. 51% of interviewees reported their attitude towards becoming more qualified had improved as a result of Skill Choice. 53% stated their attitude towards career development had improved as a result of Skill Choice.