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This report documents the findings from the third 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 is taking place over two years and will conclude in 2009. This wave, the third of four, comprised both qualitative and quantitative research. The main activity was a survey of learners carried out by telephone in May and June 2008. Key messages include: learner satisfaction is very high; awareness of Train to Gain continues to increase; Train to Gain brings about real, tangible change; a more collaborative approach to training is evident; learners are driven by the qualification, i.e. strongly motivated to take part in training by the prospect of gaining a recognised qualification; benefits are in line with expectations; independent providers are becoming more prevalent; pre-entry assessment and discussions are valued and widespread; information, advice and guidance could be more learner-focused; support from the tutor/assessor is key; learners are happy with the time taken to complete; training is challenging but rewarding; participation builds confidence; and further learning is a key goal for many participants.

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The Train to Gain service, run by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), provides impartial, independent advice on training to businesses through a network of Skills Brokers across England. The service was launched nationally in August 2006, and by the end of June 2007, 119,153 learners were registered for Train to Gain on the LSC's Individual Learner Record (ILR). Ipsos MORI and the Institute for Employment Studies were commissioned by the LSC to conduct the learner element of the evaluation of Train to Gain in accordance with an overall evaluation framework. This report covers the findings from the second wave of research that surveys learners involved in workplace training through Train to Gain. The sample is made up of two elements: (1) re-interviews with respondents to the first survey (Wave 1) and referred to in this report as the longitudinal group; and (2) a new sample of learners who had recently started their qualification, termed the new entrant group. Key messages include: learners' awareness of Train to Gain is rising; recent learners are spread more broadly across occupational groups and are less concentrated in personal service jobs than are the earlier starters, suggesting that Train to Gain is reaching a more diverse range of employers and, through them, learners; good practice is spreading as learners engage with the Train to Gain process; half of the learners in the longitudinal group who had completed their qualification reported that they had acquired new skills, and the vast majority of them (92 per cent) said they had used these skills in their current job; almost a fifth (17 per cent) of completers had started further training, and 57 per cent of the rest thought it likely that they would start within the next three years; a quarter of completers got a financial reward (e.g. bonus, promotion or pay rise) as a direct result of gaining their qualification; and over nine learners in 10 (92 per cent) are satisfied with their learning, and the same proportion is satisfied with the quality of teaching they had experienced.

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The Train to Gain service, run by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), provides impartial, independent advice on training to businesses through a network of Skills Brokers across England. The service was launched nationally in August 2006, and by the end of June 2007, 119,153 learners were registered for Train to Gain on the LSC's Individual Learner Record (ILR). Ipsos MORI and the Institute for Employment Studies were commissioned by the LSC to conduct the learner element of the evaluation of Train to Gain in accordance with an overall evaluation framework. This report covers the findings from the first wave of research. Key messages: (1) overall, learners were very satisfied with the training they have received through Train to Gain. Their satisfaction levels were 10 percentage points higher than those expressed by learners in the FE [further education] sector more generally; (2) learners felt the training was benefiting both themselves and their employer. Specific benefits included greater awareness of the tasks they carried out at work and greater confidence in their ability to learn and handle difficult situations; and (3) following completion of their Train to Gain learning, 69 per cent hoped to continue on to further qualifications. The majority of learners, whether they had completed or not, felt they had received good quality training.

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This report documents the findings from the fourth 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 took place over two years, from 2007 to 2009. This wave consisted of a survey of a representative sample of learners, carried out by telephone in November and December 2008. The survey invited the views of Train to Gain learners on Level 2 and Level 3 programmes. In total, 9,006 learners were interviewed including: (1) a cohort of 2,704 fully funded Level 2 and 526 partially funded Level 3 learners who had also been interviewed during Wave 3, six months earlier. This group is referred to throughout the report as the 'longitudinal learners' group; and (2) a cohort of 4,802 fully funded Level 2 and 974 partially funded Level 3 learners. These learners had started their training more recently and had not previously taken part in the survey. This group is referred to throughout the report as the 'new entrant' group.

Key findings of the survey are: (1) satisfaction levels among learners have remained at a relatively high level throughout the evaluation; (2) the findings have consistently shown the appeal to employees of gaining qualifications and increasing skills; (3) learners' expectations prior to embarking on their training or qualifications were mirrored by the perceived outcomes of those who had completed their qualification; (4) learners felt that employers benefited from their training and qualifications; (5) Train to Gain stimulates interest in further learning; (6) awareness of Train to Gain has levelled off; (7) the setting up of training continues to involve collaboration between employer and employee; (8) most are well prepared for Train to Gain; (9) learners are well supported; and (10) Train to Gain continues to be a positive experience for most participants.

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This report documents the findings from the fifth wave of the learner evaluation of Train to Gain - 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: (1) 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; and (2) 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, and 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.

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