1136.0 - A Directory of Education and Training Statistics, 2009  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 24/03/2009   
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ADULT LEARNING SURVEY

CONTACT

National Centre for Education and Training Statistics
Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra
Telephone (02) 6252 7198

DESCRIPTION

The Adult Learning Survey (ALS) measured 3 categories of learning: formal, non-formal (e.g. work related) and informal (e.g. reading manuals) learning. Details were also collected on main fields of study, learning opportunities available, and obstacles to learning that have been experienced. Socio-demographic information such as educational qualifications, labour force status and personal and household income were also collected.

The European international Adult Education Survey (AES) provided the model for the ALS. The AES was developed by Eurostat, and conducted in European countries in 2006. The AES questions were adapted to suit Australian conditions.

Further information on the AES project is available on the Eurostat website, by searching on the terms 'AES' or 'adult education survey'. Information available includes the Eurostat Task Force report on the AES (Eurostat product code KS-CC-05-005), and the Classification of Learning Activities developed by Eurostat (Eurostat product code KS-BF-06-002).

Scope

The ALS was conducted in both urban and rural areas in all states and territories, except for very remote parts of Australia for persons aged 25 to 64 years. Persons excluded from the survey were:
  • members of the permanent defence forces
  • certain diplomatic personnel of overseas governments, customarily excluded from census and estimated populations
  • overseas residents in Australia
  • members of non-Australian defence forces (and their dependants)
  • people living in private dwellings in very remote parts of Australia
  • people living in non-private dwellings such as hotels, university residences, students at boarding schools, patients in hospitals, residents of homes (e.g. retirement homes, for persons with disabilities), and inmates of prisons.

Reference Period

The survey was conducted between July 2006 and June 2007.

Frequency of Collection

There are currently no plans to repeat this survey.

Method of collection

The Adult Learning Survey was conducted as part of the 2006–07 Multi-Purpose Household Survey (MPHS), which is conducted throughout Australia as a supplement to the monthly Labour Force Survey (LFS). After the LFS had been fully completed for each in-scope person, a randomly selected person aged 25-64 years was asked the additional MPHS questions in a personal interview. Data were collected using Computer Assisted Interviewing (CAI), whereby responses are recorded directly onto an electronic questionnaire in a notebook computer, generally during a telephone interview.

DISSEMINATION

Release schedule

The results of the 2006-07 ALLS were released in December 2007.

Publications

Adult Learning, Australia, 2006–07 (ABS cat. no. 4229.0)

Technical Manual - Multi-Purpose Household Survey, Expanded Confidentialised Unit Record File, 2007-08 (ABS cat. no. 4100.0)

Geography

Data are available for Australia, states and territories, and capital city/balance of state (excluding territories).

Data Service

Enhanced versions of the publication tables are freely available as Excel data cubes from the 'Downloads' tab of Adult Learning, Australia, 2006–07 (ABS cat. no. 4229.0). Customised data is also available on request; this is a charged service.

Microdata: Multi-Purpose Household Survey, Expanded Confidentialised Unit Record File, 2007-08 (ABS cat. no. 4100.0.55.001)


DATA ITEMS

Demographic
State or territory of usual residence
Area of usual residence
Sex
Age
Indigenous status
Marital status
Relationship in household
Country of birth
Year of arrival in Australia

Educational Attainment
Level of highest educational attainment
Field of highest educational attainment
Level of highest non-school qualification
Field of highest non-school qualification
Highest year of school completed

Participation in education and training
Whether finished schooling in Australia
Field of study of highest qualification obtained

Adult Learning
Whether participated in formal learning
Number of formal courses participated in previous 12 months
Level of most recent formal course
Field of most recent formal course
Institution or organisation at which participated in most recent formal course
Main reason for participating in most recent formal course
Whether currently studying for most recent formal course
Whether participated in non-formal learning
Number of non-formal courses participated in previous 12 months
Type of most recent non-formal course
Main field of most recent non-formal course
Institution or organisation at which participated in most recent non-formal course
Whether most recent non-formal course participated in as distance or correspondence
Whether currently studying for most recent non-formal course
Whether participated in most recent non-formal course for a job-related reason
Main reason for participating in most recent non-formal course
Whether participated in informal learning
Type of informal learning participated in
Whether wanted to participate in formal or non-formal learning
All reasons for not participating in formal or non-formal learning
Main reason for not participating in formal or non-formal learning
Whether wanted to participate in more formal or non-formal learning
All reasons for not participating in more formal or non-formal learning
Main reason for not participating in more formal or non-formal learning
All reasons for not wanting to participate in formal or non-formal learning
Main reason for not wanting to participate in formal or non-formal learning
Difficulties undertaking formal or non-formal learning
Whether looked for learning opportunities
All sources of learning opportunities found

Historical Data

This survey was first conducted in 2006–07.

Selected questions from an adult education and training topic in a 1995 ABS survey were also included. See the 'Adult Education and Training' topic in Population Survey Monitor, May 1995 (ABS cat. no. 4103.0) for more information.