Get confident with maths with West Berkshire Training Consortium
A number of people lack confidence with maths but here’s where West Berkshire Training Consortium can help.
A new government funded scheme ‘Multiply’ has been rolled out to boost people’s ability to use maths in their daily life, at home and work.
The £560 million programme, delivered through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, offers easy access to free numeracy courses that can help anyone over 19-years-old brush up on maths skills.
The programme is for those who do not hold a GCSE at Grade C, 4 or above or a Level 2.
West Berkshire Training Consortium (WBTC) is involved in this programme and has designed a short course to build confidence in maths for everyday life.
Adults across the district can improve their functional numeracy skills through free tutoring, training and flexible courses.
WBTC is also offering ‘drop-in’ sessions to employers, whereby WBTC staff come out to employees at lunchtimes or after work so they need not leave their building and are in an environment where they’re comfortable to learn.
West Berkshire Council (WBC) is administering the local allocation, working with local partners and providers to deliver to those who live and work in the district.
Post 16 Adviser on the WBC School Improvement Team Mark Browne said: “The training consortium is very, very flexible in the way that it can help employers and identify those people who might benefit from [Multiply].
He added: “We are open to businesses telling us what their business needs are. Then we can work together to see how we can meet them.”
The programme can build confidence in adults in all areas of life from those looking to progress at work to parents wanting to help their children with maths homework.
Mr Browne said: “I hear it all the time from parents when on the school run. Helping children with maths homework is quite tough and for those people who haven’t really practised maths since they left school.”
He said Multiply is key for employers looking to upskill their own teams. “It gives them an opportunity to look at the funding we have and work out how we can work with them to allow employees to study extra numeracy provision in the workplace,” he said.
Mr Browne added: “We want people to get in touch with us and then we can have that conversation about what might work for them.”
West Berkshire Council is also using the service. Mr Browne said: “We are doing this ourselves as a big employer, we are looking at our own employees to see how we can provide sessions whether they are just something you might want to do at lunch or in the evening.”
He added: “If you think this is something you’re interested in and will benefit your business and benefit your employees, then have a conversation with WBTC in the first instance or ourselves.
“Our door is open.”
To register interest or ask questions contact Natalie Elliott on 01635 35975 or Natalie.elliott@wbtc-uk.com
