| Document Title | AECL Accountability Statement |
| Lead Officer | Sarah Johnson and Ewa Szymonowicz |
| Version | 1.0 |
| Status | Approved |
| Approved by | Director: Communities |
| Date approved | 27/06/2025 |
| Last updated | 23/06/2025 |
| Review date | Last statement due to Devolution |
Adult Education & Community Learning Accountability Statement
Welcome to North Lincolnshire Council’s Adult Education and Community Learning (AECL) Statement of Accountability for the Academic Year 2025-2026.
The Accountability Statement captures how the local learning offer is contributing to both local and national skills and employability priorities. It also serves to ensure a high level of assurance about the use of public funds and protection of learners.
The document sets out our key aims, priorities, and outcomes targets focused on development and adaptation of the AECL curriculum offer in order to help learners develop the skills they will need to succeed in work and education.
Statement of Purpose
AECL plays a central part in delivering the strategic ambitions for North Lincolnshire set out in the Council Plan priority intent ‘to encourage personal ambition to access life-long learning high-quality education guidance training and opportunities to upskill’ by providing learning opportunities which enable residents to achieve better outcomes impacting on life skills prosperity and social mobility.
The provision makes a positive difference to the lives of individuals and communities by providing formal and informal learning programmes to adults across North Lincolnshire in a wide range of community venues many of which are in the areas of highest need. The AECL offer contributes to our place plans for economic growth and Priority 3 of North Lincolnshire’s Skills and Employability Plan 2023-28 that North Lincolnshire is ‘a place which enables and encourages businesses, residents, and communities to achieve their full potential’ by ensuring everyone has the opportunity to learn, work, up-skill, re-skill, and build a career.
The AECL Tailored Learning offer is integrated with the One Family Approach and supports this ambition by maximising opportunities, enabling self-responsibility, promoting independence and addressing inequality.
Our Vision
Focusing on the needs of local people particularly those furthest away from the labour market, we aspire to make a real difference to people’s lives, enabling social mobility and reducing inequalities.
Achieved through high quality education and lifelong learning, residents will experience raised aspirations, achieve greater independence, and build resilience so that they thrive and prosper in their communities.
Context and Place
North Lincolnshire in Numbers
North Lincolnshire covers 328 square miles (859 km2) and it is located at the mid-point of the United Kingdom’s east coast on the south bank of the Humber Estuary (equidistant between London and Edinburgh). The population in North Lincolnshire is approximately 170,087 people and the population is set to grow over the coming years.
North Lincolnshire is a predominately rural area made up of a number of historic market towns: Barton upon Humber, Brigg, Crowle, Epworth, Kirton in Lindsey, and Winterton. These are surrounded by many desirable larger and smaller villages and hamlets as well as an attractive countryside.
Statistics:
- Working Age Population: 101,194
- Female Employment Rate: 69%
- 16 to 64-Year-Olds with No Qualifications: 9.2%
- Resident Population: 18.5%
- Population Density per Square Kilometre: 200
- Male Employment Rate: 70.4%
- Claimant Count: 3.6%
- Employment Rate: 77.6%
- Unemployment Rate: 3.4%
- Median Gross Weekly Pay: £611.70 (£536.60 nationally)
- Number of Businesses: 6825
- Qualified to NVQ3: 28.6%
- Average House Price: £197,673
- Working Age Population Economically Active 80%
- Economic inactivity 27.9%
Latest data available at time of writing
Education, Skills, and Training Map
North Lincolnshire has pockets of education and skills deprivation as shown in the index of multiple deprivation map relating to education skills and training below.
Source: English Indices of Deprivation (2019), MHCLG Contains Ordinance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2019
Place Overview
In North Lincolnshire in 2021, the rate of people in employment qualified to NVQ Level 4 or above was lower than the regional or national rates but the number has increased over the last 5 years.
In North Lincolnshire in 2021, some 9.2% of those aged 16 to 64 had no qualifications compared to 7.8% in the region and 6.4% in England. The wards of Brumby, Frodingham, Crosby and Park, and Town have the highest proportion of those with no qualifications.
In December 2024, North Lincolnshire was showing low levels of employment with an employment rate of 69.7% lower than the rate for the region which stands at 73.8%, and lower than the rate for England which stands at 75.7%. North Lincolnshire’s claimant count for May 2025 was 3.6% compared to 4.3% in the region and 4.2% in England.
North Lincolnshire has extremely high levels of employment in the Manufacturing Sector (23.4% of employment) compared to the regional (10.6%) and national (7.3%) levels. Local specialisations include Steel, Chemicals (refining of petrochemicals), and Food Manufacture. Transport & Storage, Energy, and Construction are also well represented in the area. As of May 2025, Skilled Trades (11.8%) and Process Plant and Machine Operatives (13.1%) are well represented in the North Lincolnshire workforce more so than in the wider regional and national workforces. Professional Occupations (14.6%) are under represented in North Lincolnshire.
The Skills Escalator – AECL Role
It is evident that skills gaps exist in North Lincolnshire at all levels. Entry onto skills and employment progression pathways for many residents is often restricted by a lack of basic skills and qualifications and by other barriers such as aspirations and community resilience. AECL provides a range of non-accredited and accredited courses from Pre-Entry to Level 2.
AECL Community Learning courses aim to benefit residents who are furthest away from the labour market and support progression into employment. This offer includes courses that have softer outcomes such as work readiness, developing confidence, improved wellbeing, and resilience.
The provision works in partnership with Community Leaders and Voluntary and Community Sector organisations to ensure a targeted approach aimed at widening participation and supporting learners to become active citizens who contribute positively to their local communities through volunteering and paid employment.
Approach to Developing the Accountability Statement
Curriculum Planning
Adult Education and Community Learning’s curriculum planning starts in the Autumn Term prior to the upcoming academic year.
Senior leaders carry out a comprehensive analysis of national, regional, and local priorities taking into account the direction of Government policy, regional analysis, and information produced in the North Lincolnshire Local Labour Market Briefing, North Lincolnshire Economic Growth Plan 2023 – 2028, and North Lincolnshire Skills and Employability Plan 2023 – 2028 and Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP).
AECL Governance is strong and well-established. The Board of Governors benefits from the expertise, strategic oversight, and accountability of external members and senior leaders from the council. Governors provide the necessary challenge to service managers to help them evaluate and improve the quality of the curriculum. Working with external stakeholders is an integral part of curriculum planning and implementation which provides up-to-date insight into local needs and priorities to ensure that learning opportunities are relevant and meet the needs of all residents in North Lincolnshire.
Recognising that North Lincolnshire has stubbornly elevated levels of long-term unemployment and fluctuating levels of economic inactivity, our courses provide direct support to those out of work and the economically inactive to enable them to develop the employability skills required to be work ready.
The curriculum offer is approved by the Board of Governors and is based on extensive intelligence, research, and strong relationships with learners, senior leaders, external and corporate partners.
Utilising our evidence base, we will develop a relevant curriculum for targeted groups to support people to reach their full potential.
Our priority will be to ensure people have access to high quality learning and skills opportunities that are linked to the requirements in the labour market.
The LSIP identifies work readiness
and essential skills as a priority. Employers state that lack of these skills is contributing to the low standard of ‘work readiness’.
Therefore, AECL is focusing on learners developing communication, numeracy, resilience, teamwork, time keeping and professionalism skills.
Partnerships
Schools
Social enterprise
Community and Family Hubs
Local Employers
Further Education Colleges
Positive engagement with a range of key partners and stakeholders ensures that the curriculum is needs-led, has reach within targeted communities and is accessible to all. Partners include the DWP, family hubs, schools, colleges, employers and other community organisations. Stakeholders and partnerships are well established and are representative across all sectors. Strong relationships enable a good range of intelligence and insight, including resident voice, allowing the co-design, planning and delivery of an offer that meets the needs of the communities we serve. Examples include provision of ESOL courses at all levels for new arrivals to UK, working closely with community leaders, community organisations and schools to enable greater reach and delivering a range of courses and targeted interventions. All partners demonstrate shared values and ambition and contribute positively and proactively to the local AECL learning offer. Stakeholders exhibit high levels of integrity and professional generosity and are focused on working together to achieve improved outcomes for learners.
How We Will Meet National Regional and Local Priorities
Below sets out our 2024-2025 plans to meet the skills agenda. These plans may be refined in the light of new technology, qualifications, funding, and employer feedback.
Curriculum Offer and Associated Targets
Priorities Impacted and Reason for Objectives
Local Strategic Aims and Objectives to Meet National Regional and Local Priorities for Learning and Skills
Local Strategic Aims and Objectives
Priority 1
A place where people, places, and products are connected globally to deliver sustainable economic growth.
- Deliver high quality, sustainable, resilient infra-structure.
Priority 3
A place which enables and encourages our businesses, residents, and communities to achieve their full potential:
- Ensure everyone has the opportunity to learn, work, upskill, reskill, and build a career.
- Drive growth and innovation in our key sectors.
Skills & Employability Plan 2023 to 2028
Priorities
- A place to build a great career.
- A place enabling businesses to grow through skills and careers investment.
- A place with a proud culture of local skills aspirations and proactive collaboration.
Greater Lincolnshire LEP Local Skills Strategy 2022 Priorities
- Supporting people with literacy and numeracy skills to improve their daily lives and the productivity of businesses.
- Upskilling and retraining people for jobs NOW and in the future, including apprenticeships.
- Growing digital skills at all levels so that residents can reach their potential in the local labour market and participate in a flourishing and inclusive economy.
Priority 2
A place where businesses and residents make positive changes to create a cleaner, greener, healthier and more sustainable future for North Lincolnshire.
• Promote health wellbeing and a good quality of life.
One Family Approach
Ambition: To work together with schools, wider partners and the community to build on and further strengthen an integrated system that works for all families.
Curriculum offer and associated targets to meet National, Regional and Local Priorities for Learning and Skills.
We will support the integration of ethnic minority communities (including those from Afghanistan, Syria, and the Ukraine) through the delivery of a comprehensive and targeted programme of skills. We will increase the uptake of ESOL provision by 10%. This includes English as a second language, employability, and life skills.
We will improve essential basic skills in North Lincolnshire by increasing the uptake of learners on priority programmes in English and Maths by 10%.
We will improve digital inclusion in North Lincolnshire, increasing the digital skills and confidence of adult residents in key disadvantaged wards. We will increase the uptake of learners on digital programmes by 10%.
We will deliver qualifications in areas such as Childcare and Teaching Assistants. This will meet a skills gap and enhance the level of education given to children and young people.
We will deliver qualifications in subjects that enhance the level of specialist skills available to those working with children and young people, including Preparing to Work in Schools, Understanding Children and Young People’s Mental Health, Understanding Autism, and Understanding SEND.
We will grow an apprenticeship programme in key priority sectors to provide sustainable employment and support for the Local Authority and the economy. We will deliver apprenticeship standards to 20 apprentices.
We will deliver Tailored Learning courses to improve adult residents’ mental health, wellbeing and increased awareness of sustainability. We will also support progression onto further learning and into employment. We plan to develop a range of new courses designed to improve progression pathways. We will focus on delivering tailored family learning courses to help parents support and encourage their children’s learning.
We will also deliver new courses to prepare learners for training, employment and self employment, this includes digital, financial, literacy and communication skills. We will increase the delivery of all Tailored Learning courses in the most disadvantaged areas. We will provide opportunities for the development of personal skills by promoting volunteering activities leading to increased active citizen engagement.
Priorities impacted and reason for objectives
To contribute to National, Regional, and Local Skills Priorities by upskilling people from ethnic minority communities to find employment and enabling integration into local communities.
This supports the national priority Digital & Technology sector as well as the national core transferable skills. Regionally, it contributes to the Digital and ICT sector.
To implement North Lincolnshire’s Economic Growth and Skills and Employability Plans:
To promote the opportunities and routes to access skills training, apprenticeships, and other career pathways, enabling higher level employment. Enable a more comprehensive range of training opportunities to help workers move on in their careers.
To improve mental health and wellbeing and to promote the benefits of this in gaining employment, upskilling, reskilling and improved life chances.
Local Skills Improvement Plan Priorities
Work Readiness and Essential Skills Actions
Employers want to see (and receive) much higher quality CVs from applicants to improve and speed-up successful recruitment.
National Priorities
Skills England
English and Maths skills
People skills, including relationship management and customer service.
Digital and Digitisation Skills Actions
Education must provide digital skills as a key component of suitable courses to keep pace with a rapidly changing digital landscape.
National Skills Priority
Digital and technology
Decarbonisation and Green Skills Actions
Basic climate literacy needs to be improved in both the education system and places of work, including employers.
National Priorities
UK Government 2050 Net Zero emissions target
Actions
We will offer CV master classes, interview skills and workshops that include: Pathways to Employment with a focus on: Development of communication, Numeracy Resilience, Timekeeping, Teamwork and Professionalism Skills.
We will also deliver tailored and bespoke learning opportunities for targeted groups, for example those at risk of redundancy, returners, people changing careers, people with disabilities, mental health support groups and community organisations.
We will ensure courses and apprenticeship programmes have a digital aspect to help individuals gain a comprehensive understanding of, and confidence with, digital tools and how they can be applied in a variety of settings including employment and daily life. We will offer digital progression routes for learners to move on from bascic digital skills courses to qualifications.
We will deliver ‘Achieving net zero’ workshops and short and short courses for learners with a focus on improving climate literacy needs. For example, developing courses using our new outdoor classroom to provide hands on skills training, life-skills and personal development.
Corporation Statement
On behalf of North Lincolnshire Council, we confirm that the plan above represents an agreed statement of purpose, aims, and objectives. The final version has been approved by the North Lincolnshire Council’s Director for Communities. The plan will be published on the Council’s website within one month of the start of the new academic year ad can be accessed from the following link:
Supporting Documentation
- AECL Ofsted Report 2021
- Skills and Employability Plan 2023-28
- Economic Growth Plan 2023-28
- Council Plan 2022-25
- Children’s Commissioning Strategy Refresh 2022
Adult Education & Community Learning
Ashby Community Hub
Ashby High Street
Scunthorpe
DN16 2UT
01724 297146
North Lincolnshire Adult Education and Community Learning