Posted on Monday 4th December 2023
Free maths courses provided by a county council-led initiative are teaching Staffordshire residents how to manage their household budgets to ease cost-of-living pressures and gain new qualifications.
As part of national Government adult numeracy programme Multiply, the county council is working with learning and skills organisations to provide courses to boost people’s skills and confidence with numbers.
Topics of these courses include household budgeting, banking, shopping, and debt management. They can lead to formal qualifications, training and new employment.
Recent learners include David Gibbs from Horninglow, Burton. He said the course had particularly helped better understand percentages and added:
“I wanted to improve the skills I already have and learn new ones. The course has helped me improve my confidence and stop doubting myself, especially when applying for jobs. I’d urge people to give Multiply I try – everyone gets nervous, but getting things wrong shows you are trying and this is a very safe environment.”
Georgina Walker-Wollaston, also from Burton, said: “I struggle with learning but with the help and support provided I’ve been able to improve. When I found out it was a small group I signed up. I looked forward to attending my maths course as my tutor was very understanding and would simplify anything I was unsure of. Now I’m able to figure things out more easily and have a better mindset in general.”
Staffordshire County Council secured £4.2million from the Government as part of the £570million Multiply scheme. It is a three-year fully funded programme, giving people the opportunity to learn both online and in person when and where they want.
Staffordshire County Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for economy and skills Philip White said:
Having good numeracy skills helps with daily tasks such being able to budget efficiently, which is crucial to easing financial pressure at home.
The Multiply programme provides free and accessible help to people who want to improve their maths skills including care leavers, employees needing specific numeracy skills for work, parents wanting to support their children with homework, homeowners looking to improve their money management or those aiming to obtain qualifications that could lead to employment.
Anyone aged 19 and above, living in Staffordshire and who would like to develop their maths skills for work, career progression or further learning, should get in touch. The courses are tailored to individuals with online, in-person and one-to-one guidance sessions.”
People can find out more about the programme here.