College to run free maths courses for adults through new Government scheme

Wiltshire College & University Centre will offer free maths courses to adults who previously failed GCSE maths as part of a new national campaign.

Courses run by the College are planned to start in January 2023 and will form part of the Government’s new Multiply scheme.

Wiltshire Council have been given £2.1million from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to offer the courses, and the College has been chosen to provide some of those Government-funded courses run by the Council.

The Multiply funding will be offered to adults over the age of 19 who do not currently have Level 2/GCSE maths at grade 4 (previously known as a C grade) through a variety of schemes and courses which will give learners a chance to develop numeracy skills.

Alongside the College, Wiltshire Citizens Advice will provide support with money and budgeting to assist with the current cost of living crisis. Libraries across the county will also be offering numeracy courses.

Lisa Cuffy, Adult Learning and Commercial Enterprise Manager at Wiltshire College & University Centre, said: “We’re excited to be partnering with Wiltshire Council to deliver the Multiply project. This project supports adults to improve their numeracy skills, no matter their starting point.

“The courses we will be offering will support jobseekers to improve their numeracy for work, adults for whom English is not their first language to develop their numeracy skills for life and work, and numeracy skills for teaching assistants and those aspiring to work as teaching assistants.”

Wiltshire Council Cabinet Member for Education and Skills Laura Mayes said:

“Maths and numeracy skills impact on all of our daily lives. Taking small steps towards improving our maths doesn’t have to be scary and ultimately it can have a big impact on our work and life prospects.

“Our officers are working with organisations such as Wiltshire College & University Centre and Citizens Advice to develop and roll out courses and encourage people to take the first steps to develop confidence with numeracy and budgeting, whether this is for work or home. With the current cost of living crisis and the need to balance household budgets, learning new skills has never been more important.

“As part of our business plan, we have committed to ensuring that Wiltshire residents have the right skills to prosper and to support in improving confidence and knowledge. Securing this funding and developing free numeracy courses will be key in meeting in this target. Courses will be tailored to encourage people to take that first step at a pace and level suited to them.

“The additional funding available to businesses will also cater for employees who are looking to upskill and look to further their careers within their current workplace environment. We encourage organisations to come forward with their proposals and take advantage of this great funding opportunity.”

More information on dates, times and locations for Multiply courses offered at the College will be announced when they are confirmed. Please keep an eye on the College website and social media channels for the latest details.