Train to Gain Learner Evaluation: Report from Wave 1 Research

The Train to Gain service, run by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), was set up to provide 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:

• 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 sector more generally.
• 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.
• 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.