Accountability Agreement 2026 to 2027

Local, national priorities and needs analysis

Coventry is a diverse and growing city with an estimated population of 365,500 residents. According to the Census 2021, 55.3% of Coventry's total population is White British. This is notably lower than West Midlands (71.8%) and England (73.5%) and shows the proportion of the city population who are of White British ethnicity has fallen from 66.6% in 2011. Coventry has lower employment than the national rate, a higher proportion of adults with no formal qualifications, and a lower proportion qualified to Level 3 or above.

The employment rate between January to March 2026 was 73% compared to 75% nationally in the same period. Educational attainment in Coventry is slightly lower than the national average. For the period 2021 (Census data), 19.4% of Coventry’s population aged 16+ had no formal qualifications compared to 18.2% nationally.

The estimated proportion of young people aged 16 to 24 years not in employment, education or training is slightly higher than the national average (around 15% compared to 13% nationally), and the rate is increasing, with longstanding disparities within the city, particularly in more deprived area.

One of the challenges in Coventry is to increase the number of adults with at least a Level 3 qualification. Only 58.7% hold NVQ Level 3 or above, compared to 61.5% nationally. Currently, some areas, such as Foleshill and Wood End, have comparatively high levels of adults without any qualifications, and large numbers of the workforce have little more than Level 2 (e.g., GCSE grades 9 to 4 or A to C; Level 2 NVQ, intermediate apprenticeship).

(Source: Coventry City Council – Residents by Qualification Level report)

Coventry Learns therefore has a dual role: providing accessible first steps for residents furthest from learning and work, and creating clear progression into qualifications, vocational learning, employment and career development.

Service data

At the time of writing (July 2026), in academic year 2025 to 2026, Coventry Learns achieved 9,921 enrolments from 4,344 learners. 74% of learners were female and 26% male.

Learners living in each of the five most deprived deciles (according to Indices of Multiple Deprivation data) participate at rates higher than the Coventry population average (in total, 32% of the Coventry population and 78% of learners).

Further headline figures for Coventry include:

• estimated population of 365,500
• 15% Local Super Output Areas (LSOAs) rank in the top 10% of most deprived LSOAs nationally
• Coventry employment rate of 73%, compared to 75% nationally
• high educational attainment
• people aged 16 to 65 with no formal qualification in Coventry is 19%, compared to 18% nationally
• Coventry has 59% of residents qualified to at least level 3, compared with 61% nationally
• there has been an increase of adults with at least a level 3 qualification
• Coventry has a high level of adults without a qualification. Large numbers of the workforce have little more than level 2 (for example, GCSE grades 9 to 4 or A* to C, level 2 NVQ, intermediate apprenticeship)