All CWM learners reported are funded through the Education and Skills Funding Agency, which funds learning up to 19.
Learner number trends
Overall the number of 16-19 funded learners is 6.6% higher than three years ago, despite a small dip since 2020/21.
| 16-19 learners | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 |
| In WMCA | 31,752 | 32,328 | 32,180 |
| Outside WMCA | 11,493 | 13,914 | 13,008 |
| All locations | 43,245 | 46,242 | 46,094 |
The growth was almost all evident in areas outside the WMCA where growth in 16-19 numbers was over 13%, compared with 1.3% within the WMCA region.
Level trends
Over half of learners are studying at level 3 and above and this proportion is increasing steadily year on year.
By contrast, the number of learners on Level 2 and Level 3 programmes is declining with those on Entry Level programmes remaining fairly static at just over 6%
When comparing CWM learners in the WMCA postcodes with those in outlying areas, we see that a higher proportion of learners in the WMCA are studying at Level 3 and the three-year growth has been almost 5% to 56.3% compared with a 3% growth to 52% outside the WMCA areas.
In the colleges outside the WMCA the number of young people studying at lLevel 2 dropped by 5% compared with a 3% fall within the WMCA areas.
| In WMCA | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 |
| Entry Level | 6.9% | 6.7% | 7.1% |
| Level 1 | 14.6% | 12.2% | 13.3% |
| Level 2 | 26.6% | 26.3% | 23.2% |
| Level 3+ | 51.7% | 54.6% | 56.3% |
| Other | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Outside WMCA | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 |
| Entry Level | 4.2% | 4.6% | 5.4% |
| Level 1 | 16.1% | 15.8% | 16.9% |
| Level 2 | 30.4% | 28.5% | 25.3% |
| Level 3+ | 48.8% | 50.5% | 51.9% |
| Other | 0 | 0.6% | 0.5% |
Location trends
The local authority with the largest number of 16–19-year-olds is Birmingham where approximately 45% of 16-18 learners live. The next largest LA in terms of 16-19 numbers is Dudley with 4,370 learners in 2021/22. The LA areas that demonstrated growth in CWM college 16-19 numbers over the three-year period are Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton.
| WMCA – all levels | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 |
| Birmingham | 14,622 | 14,553 | 14,441 |
| Coventry | 2,845 | 2,863 | 2,795 |
| Dudley | 4,438 | 4,480 | 4,370 |
| Sandwell | 3,007 | 3,182 | 3,265 |
| Solihull | 1,566 | 1,644 | 1,699 |
| Walsall | 2,797 | 2,927 | 2,908 |
| Wolverhampton | 2,475 | 2,674 | 2,699 |
| 31,750 | 32,323 | 32,177 |
Subjects and sector trends
Over 50% of 16-19 learners at CWM colleges were studying the top six subjects (learning aims) in 2021/22: Construction, Health and Care, Preparation for Life and Work, Business, A Levels and Art and Design.
| Core learning aim – CWM 16-19 learners in all locations | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | % change over 3 years | |
| 08. Construction, Planning and the Built Environment | 3,950 | 4,680 | 4,976 | 26% | |
| 01. Health, Nursing and Social Care | 3,965 | 4,400 | 4,249 | 7% | |
| 19. Preparation for Life and Work | 3,464 | 3,765 | 3,904 | 13% | |
| 20. Business, Administration and Law | 3,581 | 3,550 | 3,572 | 0% | |
| 21. A-Levels | 2,726 | 2,967 | 3,238 | 19% | |
| 17. Art and Design | 2,818 | 3,029 | 3,027 | 7% | |
| 04. Science and Mathematics | 2,478 | 2,378 | 2,529 | 2% | |
| 09. Information and Communication Technology | 2,506 | 2,494 | 2,321 | -7% | |
| 13. Sport, Leisure and Recreation | 2,449 | 2,267 | 2,159 | -12% | |
| 06. Engineering | 1,932 | 2,246 | 2,011 | 4% | |
| 11. Hair, Beauty and Services | 1,894 | 2,036 | 1,918 | 1% | |
| 07. Motor Vehicle and Transportation | 1,807 | 1,993 | 1,775 | -2% | |
| 03. Child Development and Well Being | 1,652 | 1,692 | 1,635 | -1% | |
| 16. Media and Communication | 1,458 | 1,526 | 1,567 | 7% | |
| 02. Public Services | 1,481 | 1,531 | 1,504 | 2% | |
| 15. Performing Arts | 2,079 | 2,119 | 1,442 | -31% | |
| 05. Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care | 842 | 1,351 | 1,394 | 66% | |
| 18. Education, Humanities, Languages, Social Sciences and General Education | 744 | 855 | 764 | 3% | |
| 14. Leisure, Travel and Tourism | 687 | 596 | 579 | -16% | |
| 12. Hospitality and Catering | 622 | 596 | 446 | -28% | |
| Not Applicable | 76 | 133 | 135 | 78% | |
| 10. Retailing, Wholesaling, Warehousing and Distribution | 34 | 38 | 43 | 26% | |
Learners on Construction programmes grew by over 1,000 in the three-year period which represented a 26% growth. Around 500 were living within the WMCA region and 500 outside, making the percentage growth of those living outside the WMCA 52%.
Learners studying A-Levels increased by 512 with almost all (440) living in WMCA, making the A-Level growth 13% for WMCA residents.
Learners with a Preparation for Life and Work learning aim increased by 440, with most of the growth outside the WMCA where numbers rose by 308 to 975, representing a 46% increase.
Learners on Health and Care grew overall by 7% (284) with growth split roughly equally between the WMCA LA residents and those outside.
There was a 66% growth in learners on Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care programmes and 372 of these 552 additional learners were resident outside the WMCA regions.
Although Business and Administration make up a large proportion of learning aims, the proportion of learners on these programmes is static oveall with 2% growth in the WMCA and 11% decline outside the WMCA.
Other changes to note are:
- Increase in Art and Design and Engineering learning aims outside WMCA which grew by 32% and 18% respectively.
- Overall declining uptake in: ICT; Leisure, Travel and Tourism; Hospitality and Catering; Performing Arts and Sport, Leisure and Recreation.
| Core learning aim – 16-19 learners in WMCA | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | % change over 3 years |
| 08. Construction, Planning and the Built Environment | 2,959 | 3,234 | 3,472 | 17.3% |
| 21. A-Levels | 2,407 | 2,637 | 2,847 | 18.3% |
| 05. Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care | 666 | 841 | 846 | 27.0% |
| 01. Health, Nursing and Social Care | 2,968 | 3,191 | 3,121 | 5.2% |
| 19. Preparation for Life and Work | 2,797 | 2,744 | 2,929 | 4.7% |
| 20. Business, Administration and Law | 2,922 | 2,813 | 2,983 | 2.1% |
| 04. Science and Mathematics | 2,243 | 2,142 | 2,278 | 1.6% |
| Not Applicable | 32 | 47 | 67 | 109.4% |
| 02. Public Services | 925 | 976 | 945 | 2.2% |
| 11. Hair, Beauty and Services | 1,156 | 1,187 | 1,169 | 1.1% |
| 10. Retailing, Wholesaling, Warehousing and Distribution | 24 | 34 | 36 | 50.0% |
| 06. Engineering | 1,329 | 1,461 | 1,297 | -2.4% |
| 17. Art and Design | 2,042 | 2,057 | 2,003 | -1.9% |
| 03. Child Development and Well Being | 1,230 | 1,125 | 1,166 | -5.2% |
| 09. Information and Communication Technology | 1,891 | 1,871 | 1,816 | -4.0% |
| 18. Education, Humanities, Languages, Social Sciences and General Education | 503 | 560 | 428 | -14.9% |
| 16. Media and Communication | 829 | 807 | 739 | -10.9% |
| 07. Motor Vehicle and Transportation | 1,257 | 1,293 | 1,161 | -7.6% |
| 14. Leisure, Travel and Tourism | 460 | 370 | 352 | -23.5% |
| 12. Hospitality and Catering | 363 | 328 | 251 | -30.9% |
| 15. Performing Arts | 1,013 | 1,000 | 815 | -19.5% |
| Core learning aim – 16-19 learners outside WMCA | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | % change over 3 years |
| 08. Construction, Planning and the Built Environment | 991 | 1,446 | 1,504 | 51.8% |
| 05. Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care | 176 | 510 | 548 | 211.4% |
| 19. Preparation for Life and Work | 667 | 1,021 | 975 | 46.2% |
| 17. Art and Design | 776 | 972 | 1,024 | 32.0% |
| 16. Media and Communication | 629 | 719 | 828 | 31.6% |
| 01. Health, Nursing and Social Care | 997 | 1,209 | 1,128 | 13.1% |
| 06. Engineering | 603 | 785 | 714 | 18.4% |
| 18. Education, Humanities, Languages, Social Sciences and General Education | 241 | 295 | 336 | 39.4% |
| 21. A-Levels | 319 | 330 | 391 | 22.6% |
| 07. Motor Vehicle and Transportation | 550 | 700 | 614 | 11.6% |
| 03. Child Development and Well Being | 422 | 567 | 469 | 11.1% |
| Not Applicable | 44 | 86 | 68 | 54.5% |
| 04. Science and Mathematics | 235 | 236 | 251 | 6.8% |
| 11. Hair, Beauty and Services | 738 | 849 | 749 | 1.5% |
| 02. Public Services | 556 | 555 | 559 | 0.5% |
| 14. Leisure, Travel and Tourism | 227 | 226 | 227 | 0.0% |
| 10. Retailing, Wholesaling, Warehousing and Distribution | 10 | 4 | 7 | -30.0% |
| 13. Sport, Leisure and Recreation | 713 | 657 | 700 | -1.8% |
| 12. Hospitality and Catering | 259 | 268 | 195 | -24.7% |
| 20. Business, Administration and Law | 659 | 737 | 589 | -10.6% |
| 09. Information and Communication Technology | 615 | 623 | 505 | -17.9% |
| 15. Performing Arts | 1,066 | 1,119 | 627 | -41.2% |
Priority Sector trends
Overall the number of CWM 16-19 learners studying in the four priority sectors grew by 8% in the three years to 2021/22.
The sectors which saw growth were Construction (26%) and Engineering (4%), Business, Administration and Law flatlined and there was a 7% drop in the number of learners studying ICT.
Within the separate sector areas we saw a general trend towards higher level learning.
A higher proportion of learners in Business, Administration and Law, Engineering and ICT studied at level 3 and there was a corresponding decline in the proportion at level 1 and level 3.
| Business, Administration and Law | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 |
| Entry Level | 0% | 1% | 1% |
| Level 1 | 7% | 3% | 5% |
| Level 2 | 30% | 27% | 25% |
| Level 3+ | 64% | 69% | 69% |
| Engineering | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 |
| Level 1 | 14% | 11% | 11% |
| Level 2 | 39% | 37% | 37% |
| Level 3+ | 47% | 52% | 52% |
| ICT | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 |
| Level 1 | 7% | 6% | 2% |
| Level 2 | 27% | 26% | 25% |
| Level 3+ | 66% | 69% | 73% |
In the case of Construction there was very little change in the proportion of learners studying at each level over the three-year period.
| Construction | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 |
| Entry Level | 2% | 2% | 3% |
| Level 1 | 47% | 44% | 47% |
| Level 2 | 37% | 41% | 36% |
| Level 3+ | 14% | 13% | 14% |
Inclusion trends
Sex
Looking at choice of subject area some persistent preferences are evident. Last year less than 10% of learners on the following programmes were female: ICT, Construction, Motor Vehicle and Engineering. And less than 8% of the cohorts on Childcare and Health and Care were male.
Ethnicity
The profile of all CWM 16-19 learners by the ethnic group with which they have identified was fairly stable over the three-year period. Overall White learners make up 50% of learners, with 25% identifying as Asian.
When looking at the more detailed ethnic breakdown, the same stability is evident. There was a very marginal decrease in the proportion of White and Asian learners and a corresponding increase in students of mixed heritage and those whose ethnicity was described as ‘other’.
| Ethnicity of all CWM 16-19 learners | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 |
| African | 4% | 4% | 4% |
| Caribbean | 3% | 3% | 3% |
| Any other Black / African / Caribbean background | 1% | 1% | 2% |
| Indian | 4% | 3% | 3% |
| Pakistani | 13% | 12% | 12% |
| Bangladeshi | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| Chinese | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Any other Asian Background | 2% | 1% | 2% |
| White and Asian | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| White and Black African | 0% | 0% | 1% |
| White and Black Caribbean | 3% | 3% | 3% |
| Any Other Mixed / Multiple ethnic background | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| English / Welsh / Scottish / Northern Irish / British | 57% | 58% | 57% |
| Irish | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Gypsy or Irish Traveller | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Any Other White Background | 4% | 4% | 4% |
| Arab | 2% | 1% | 2% |
| Any other Ethnic Group | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| Not Provided | 1% | 2% | 2% |
White learners make up 49% of 16-19 students based in the WMCA area, compared with 63% of all CWM learners. In the WMCA patch, Black learners account for 12% of learners, double that in the wider region where CWM learners are resident.
| Ethnicity of all WMCA based 16-19 learners | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 |
| African | 5% | 5% | 6% |
| Caribbean | 4% | 4% | 4% |
| Any other Black / African / Caribbean background | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| Indian | 4% | 4% | 4% |
| Pakistani | 17% | 16% | 16% |
| Bangladeshi | 3% | 3% | 3% |
| Chinese | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Any other Asian Background | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| White and Asian | 1% | 1% | 2% |
| White and Black African | 1% | 0% | 1% |
| White and Black Caribbean | 4% | 4% | 4% |
| Any Other Mixed / Multiple ethnic background | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| English / Welsh / Scottish / Northern Irish / British | 47% | 46% | 45% |
| Irish | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Gypsy or Irish Traveller | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Any Other White Background | 4% | 4% | 4% |
| Arab | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| Any other Ethnic Group | 2% | 1% | 1% |
| Not Provided | 1% | 3% | 2% |