The Scottish Executive’s Business Learning Accounts programme aims to stimulate learning and business growth in small businesses which employ less than 50 people. The evaluation explains the background to the Business Learning Accounts pilot programme and how the Business Learning Accounts were delivered. It explores the outcomes, the perceived benefits and the added value of the BLA programme.

The Business Learning Accounts pilots were announced in 2003 and ran until 2006. The main objective of the evaluation was to assess the extent to which the Business Learning Accounts programme has increased demand for training in small businesses.

The evaluation analysed monitoring data on 386 businesses collated by the Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise networks. A telephone survey of 100 companies took place and also a postal survey of 87 individual Business Learning Account learners. In-depth interviews took place with 60 companies, and with key BLA stakeholders.

The evaluation finds that although the Business Learning Accounts pilots have succeeded in increasing demand for training, they have struggled to reach small businesses and companies who have not traditionally trained their workforce, despite these being the BLA target group. The report suggests that the BLA pilot should not be rolled out but that successful elements, such as one-on-one support and a flexible approach to learning in workforce development delivery, should be mainstreamed.

Scottish Executive Social Research
Phone: +44 131 244 3759
srinternet@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

01/09/2006

Andy Hirst, Sini Rinne, Joke Delvaux (Cambridge Policy Consultants)

research

Urban Policy > Economy knowledge & employment > Urban economy

Business support