Description:
This indicator measures the proportion of adults aged 16-64 with SCQF level 4 or below as their highest level of qualification. This captures working age adults with low or no qualifications (SCQF level 4 is equivalent to Standard Grade General level).
Source of Data:
The data for this indicator are gathered through the Annual Population Survey (APS). APS is the largest annual household survey in Scotland and provides information about individuals' personal circumstances and their work. It is carried out by the Office for National Statistics.
Results from the Annual Population Survey are published on the Scottish Government website - within the 'Local Area Labour Markets in Scotland (Statistics from the Annual Population Survey)' publication.
http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Labour-Market/Publications
The measurement is based on an estimate of the number of people who have low or no qualifications (SCQF Level 4 or below).
The current confidence interval around the estimate from the APS is ±0.4%.
Definitions:
The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) uses 12 SCQF Levels to provide an indication of the complexity of qualifications and learning programmes. SCQF Level 1 is the least demanding and SCQF Level 12 is the most demanding. Examples of qualifications at SCQF level 4 would be Intermediate 1, General Standard Grade, and SVQ1.
The use of SCQF level 4 or below to define those with low or no skills is in line with the internationally accepted definition used by OECD. The population of interest is people aged 16-64. It is recognised that people who are over 64 years old will have issues around literacy and numeracy which also need to be addressed, however to maximise the link between the indicator and the Government's National Outcomes this particular indicator focuses on the population aged 16-64.
Criteria for Change:
This evaluation is based on:
- any difference within +/- 0.7 percentage points of last year's figure suggests that the position is more likely to be maintaining than showing any change.
- A decrease of 0.7 percentage points or more suggests the position is improving.
- an increase of 0.7 percentage points or more suggests the position is worsening.