Each year, we report on the impact WEA courses make to our students.

Hundreds of students from across the Association were surveyed for the ‘WEA Impact Report 2016’ which looks at progress made against the charity’s four core areas: Employability; Health and Wellbeing; Community Engagement and Culture.

The report demonstrates that adult learning has an enormous impact on individuals and communities. Our work transforms outcomes for people in deprived communities; it reduces social exclusion, increases social mobility and enables families to break the cycle of deprivation.

Key findings from the report suggest WEA courses:

  • develop important employment-related skills and life skills that help improve students’ wellbeing at and outside work;
  • improve students’ engagement with their communities and foster a community spirit;
  • improve the health and wellbeing of students and enable students to make better health decisions, particularly those with long term health conditions;
  • encourage students to take up voluntary work as well as provide skills useful in voluntary work;
  • encourage students to be more active citizens;
  • develop students culturally and improve their cultural understanding;
  • provide useful skills, confidence and improve employment opportunities for both the employed and unemployed;
  • positively impact parenting and improve familial relations;
  • encourage students to take up taught courses and learn independently;
  • have a substantially higher impact on students from ethnic minorities and students claiming means-tested benefits and;
  • have cascading benefits beyond students and into families and communities.

Download the full report here or learn more about our approach to the four course themes.