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Bolton College in its Local Context
Population
Bolton has a population of 288,200 (ONS MYE 2020) which is both economically and ethnically diverse. 19.1% of the population consider themselves to be part of one of the non-white ethnic minorities with those from an Indian background constituting the largest minority group. Bolton includes some of the most affluent areas in the region and some of the poorest. Almost 52% (an increase of 9% since the last report) of the borough’s population live in neighbourhoods that are amongst the 25% most deprived in England and Wales. (CLG IMD 2019)
Currently Bolton’s unemployed claimant count is at 6.4%, this remains an increase of +1.5% from March 20. Bolton has the fourth highest rate in Greater Manchester (GM 5.7%) with the national rate for England and Wales at 4.5%. All areas of the borough have shown significant increases in unemployment since March 2020, with some areas reaching almost 1 in 5 working age people claiming unemployment alone. (Claimant Count Dec 21). These areas are priority areas for extending the widening participation reach of the community learning provision.
In Bolton 68% of the working age population was in paid employment in Oct 20-Sept 21; this can be compared to 73% in the North West and 74% nationwide. Bolton has a significantly higher than average proportion of working age people who were unemployed (i.e. actively seeking work), as well as a higher than average proportion of those not working due to as ‘looking after home or family’. There was also a slightly higher proportion of students and lower proportion of retired people than other areas. (ONS APS Oct 20-Sept 21). The lowest rate of unemployment claimants could be seen in the 50+ group, in particular females. 1 in 25 (4%) of women aged 50-64 claimed unemployment benefits, compared to around 1 in 16 (6%) of men in the same age group. (Claimant Count Dec 21).
450 (6.3%) of 16 and 17 year olds in Bolton are described as NEET or activity not known. This is the 3rd highest in Greater Manchester.
Deprivation
Following the Covid pandemic the overall unemployment rate of 8.5% varies considerably across different age & sex groups in Bolton,
impacting young males in particular. Out of the 14,925 people claiming unemployment in December 2020, almost two thirds (9,000) were male and one third (6,000) female. The most prominent age group for claiming unemployment benefits were those aged 16-24. 12% of males aged 16-24 were claiming unemployment benefits, which was 1.5 times the rate of females in that age group, at 8%. (Bolton Council data Dec 2020). Bolton has areas of high levels of deprivation and has a higher unemployment rate than both the North West and Great Britain as a whole. The College recruits a majority (63%) of its learners from these areas of high relative deprivation. Many of our learners face multiple barriers to their learning and the College is successful in supporting them to achieve their learning aims.
The College recruited a significantly higher proportion of learners from minority ethnic backgrounds (53.7%) when compared with Bolton as a whole (21%*) 13.7% of our learners receive additional learning support (ALS) and are able to make good progress in a safe, accepting environment by accessing a variety of support methods to suit their situation.
In 2020/2021 88% of students who have been involved in safeguarding cases, therefore facing some of the most complex and challenging barriers to learning, either achieved their qualification/s or remain on programme. In addition 84% of those learners accessing the counselling service achieved their learning aim.
Bolton College
in its Local Context (Continued)
According to the latest census, Christianity is the predominant religion in the borough with 63% of residents identifying as Christians. Islam and Hinduism are also significant faiths (12% and 2% of the population, respectively). 17% of residents identify as having no religion.
Bolton is a key area for resettlement of asylum seekers in the North West, with 1,012 people being supported in the town in 2018, the sixth highest population of any town or city in the UK. This accounted for 0.36% of the borough’s population (Statista).
Although it has dropped in recent years the percentage of NEET (Not In Education, Employment or Training) 18 year olds remains stubbornly high at 6.2%. Many of our learners face a number of barriers to their learning and we are highly successful in supporting them to achieve through a wide range of mechanisms.
Adult Education Manager, Bolton Council, Self-Assessment Evaluation 19-20
Employers & Employment
The labour market in Bolton has changed markedly since before the pandemic with some sectors, such as hospitality, leisure and non-food retail having experienced significant decline over the past twelve months. On the other hand other sectors such as health and social care, food production, logistics, construction, digital and education have seen an increase in activity and demand for skills.
At Bolton College we make every effort to strategically plan our curriculum with such labour market intelligence in mind so that we ensure we are giving our students the right skills for employment and career development as well as promoting economic prosperity across Bolton and the Greater Manchester region. Both average workplace (£22,068 pa) and resident (£22,819 pa) wages in Bolton are below those of Greater Manchester (£25,108 and £24,945 respectively). This suggests that better equipping residents
is still an important challenge for Bolton. Better skills mean that residents could access higher value employment, either in Bolton or outside, expanding the opportunities available for residents.
In December 2020 there were 28,978 jobs being advertised across Greater Manchester and 692,391 across the UK as a whole (source GMCA). Within Bolton, the majority (88%) of businesses are micro businesses, with 0-9 employees. This is similar to the North West (88.3%) and the UK.
