Wiltshire adults to get help to improve maths skills

New courses and support are being set up in Wiltshire, to support adults who want to improve their maths skills.

£2.1 million is coming in to Wiltshire Council, over the next three years, from the Government's £2.6 billion Multiply programme,

That's aimed at helping adults who don't currently have Level 2 or GCSE Maths at least a grade 4 (previously a C grade) to boost their numeracy. and in turn be more confident and improve job prospects.

Megan's story

Wiltshire Council employee Megan has shared her story about maths struggles, encouraging others to build up their skills if they can:

Businesses in Wiltshire can also get support from the Council to roll out schemes to upskill their staff.

Up to £10,000 is available to companies to offer courses or directly targeted support for individuals in their team.

Cllr Laura Mayes, Cabinet Member for Education & Skills, 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 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.”

Further information on the Multiply scheme can be found on the Wiltshire Council website.

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