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RSA and Ufi VocTech Trust have partnered on this research to better understand how our organisations can help address the UK skills emergency and contribute to building a society that enables, recognises and values learning for everyone, throughout life, to promote economic security, social equity and individual wellbeing. This research paper seeks to shed light on the needs, motivations and barriers to learning of those furthest from traditional education provision. We aim to rebalance the debate around adult learning away from industrial skills needs and towards wider inclusion and participation in learning, that, in turn, can support equitable economic and wellbeing outcomes for individuals and wider society. Simply put; the more people we can engage in learning, the more chance we have of meeting societal skills needs. The focus on those furthest from traditional learning context, stems from the insight that those most likely to be engaging in adult learning already have the most education. Adults who left schools at 16 or younger are less than half as likely to participate in adult learning as those who stayed within formal education until the age of 21. It's especially important then to understand adult learning journeys for those who left education at level 3 or earlier.

Our report demonstrates that by addressing foundational access to technology and digital skills, by improving learning confidence and by speaking to people's real motivations to learn, we have the capacity to address the UK skills crisis.

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