Academic year 2021/22

Apprenticeships and 19-plus Further Education Skills Index

Data guidance

Published 30 March 2023

Description

The FE Skills Index presents statistics estimating the trend in aggregated value-added from learners achieving FE qualifications. Full details of how this is derived and the limitations are provided in the FE Skills Index methodology. 

The FE Skills Index dataset is derived from other outputs: 

• the Individualised Learner Record 
• statistical modelling outputs from DfE analysis of the longitudinal education outcomes (LEO) study
• the DfE Outcome Based Success Measures

Coverage

The FE Skills Index reports on ESFA funded further education achievers in England for academic years 2012/13 to 2021/22. 

The achievers included in the FE Skills Index cohort are:

• funded apprenticeship achievers of all ages
• adult (aged 19+) further education and skills learners achieving classroom-based qualifications

File formats and conventions

The underlying data files are provided in comma separated value (csv) format.

Whole numbers are rounded to the nearest 10, percentages are provided to one decimal place.

Data files

All data files associated with this releases are listed below with guidance on their content. To download any of these files, please visit our data catalogue.

FE Skills Index - all indices

• Filename: fe_skills_index_all_indices.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2012/13 to 2021/22
• Content:

  Sub-totals for value-added from different groups of qualification types and subjects within the system each year. Also includes associated achiever numbers and the % contribution a qualification/subject combination made to the all-FE value-added in an academic year.

  Academic years: 2012/13 to 2020/21

  Indicators: estimated value-added, number of achievers, percentage contribution to total value-added

  Filters: provision type and level of learning, subject

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
achievers_index	Index of achiever numbers
annual_perc_change_skills_index	Annual change in Skills Index
annual_perc_change_value_per_learner	Annual change in Value added per learner index
provision_type	Provision type - Filter by provision type
skills_index	Skills Index
value_addded_per_learner_index	Value-added per learner index

Footnotes

1. The achiever figures in the Skills Index differ from those in other DfE publications. See Skills Index methodology for details.

FE Skills Index - achievers and value added by provision type

• Filename: fe_skills_index_achievers_and_value_added_by_provision_type.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2012/13 to 2021/22
• Content:

  Index values for the FE system and for each of apprenticeships and classroom-based learning.

  Academic years: 2012/13 to 2020/21

  Indicators: skills index, value-added per learner index, index of achiever numbers

  Filters: provision type

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
estimated_value_added	Estimated value added
level	Provision type and level of learning - Filter by level of learning within provision type
number_achievers	Number of achievers
perc_contribution_to_total_value_added	Percentage contribution to total value added
ssa	Sector Subject Area - Filter by sector subject area

Footnotes

1. The achiever figures in the Skills Index differ from those in other DfE publications. See Skills Index methodology for details.
2. In 2016/17 a number of Full Level 2 and Full Level 3 qualifications were reclassified, but the value-added assigned to these qualifications in the Skills Index is still based on their original classification. See Skills Index methodology for details.