Learning Agreement Pilots Evaluation

Synthesis Report

This report summarises the findings from the national evaluation of the Learning Agreement Pilots (LAP).

The LAPs were a joint initiative between Connexions and the local Learning and Skills Council and were originally established in April 2006 to run for two years.

The initiative was targeted at young people aged 16 to 17 who were working but not engaged in any accredited training. A Learning Agreement outlined the accredited training that the young person would undertake and was drawn up between a Connexions Personal Adviser, the young person and their employer.

The LAP evaluation was carried out by a partnership of the Institute for Employment Studies (IES), the Centre for Education and Industry (CEI) at Warwick University and the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen).

The evaluation had three main elements:

• a process evaluation, examining the ways in which the pilots had been set up and delivered, and the main issues associated with their implementation
• a quantitative element, using surveys of young people to measure the impact of the pilots in comparison to a number of control areas and to provide information about participants’ experiences
• a programme theory element, focusing on testing some key aspects of the policy to identify what worked, what did not and the reasons for this.