Free Maths Courses for Adults: Everything You Need to Know
Multiply is a new £560 million, government-funded programme to help adults improve their numeracy skills, and launched this year across the UK as part of their Skills for Life initiative.
We are delighted to be able to provide adult learners with the chance to upskill and increase their confidence in maths with FREE, part-time online maths courses at Capel Manor College. This is a great opportunity to develop both personally and professionally – it is never too late to gain a new qualification or boost your existing knowledge.
You can try our one-day Everyday Maths Skills online course for a refresher in all things numerical to grow your confidence. Alternatively, if you want to achieve a formal qualification, or boost a lower existing grade, you can study our GCSE Maths online course.
Spaces are available on a first come, first served basis with courses starting in January and April, you can view all courses here.
If you have just finished school and have not obtained a pass in GCSE Maths, you will be able to study this alongside your chosen land-based course. You will benefit from small class sizes and complementary, hands-on learning linked to your course.
The importance of numeracy
If you are aged 19 and over and do not have a GCSE Maths qualification at grade C (or equivalent), or are looking to refresh and build upon existing maths skills, you can access free numeracy courses through Multiply to build your confidence with numbers.
Numeracy is the ability to understand and use maths in your daily life at home and at work. Have you ever noticed how often you need maths skills in everyday life? From managing home budgets to sharing data at work, basic numeracy is essential for day-to-day activities and career progression.
People who improve their numeracy skills are more likely to be in employment, have higher wages, and better wellbeing, and will be more able to progress to higher levels of free training to secure a skilled job in our economy.
Businesses who develop their employees’ numeracy skills can boost productivity, increase profits, and improve employee retention.
Poor rates of numeracy across the UK
The aim of Multiply is to help fulfil the ambitions and the objectives of Levelling Up; a moral, social and economic programme for the whole of government. The Levelling Up White Paper sets out how we will spread opportunity more equally across the UK. Specifically, The Skills Mission from the Levelling Up White Paper, February 2022:
“By 2030, the number of people successfully completing high-quality skills training will have significantly increased in every area of the UK. In England, this will lead to 200,000 more people successfully completing high-quality skills training annually, driven by 80,000 more people completing courses in the lowest skilled areas.”
According to www.nationalnumeracy.org.uk, 57% of the working age adult population in England are estimated to have low numeracy skills and this number rises to 60% in Northern Ireland. Three in 10 people (31%) say they are not a “numbers person”. Women are more likely to say it and are more than twice as anxious as men are about maths and numbers. Meanwhile, a third of the population (36%) say they would like to improve their maths and numeracy skills.
Employers can help too
The majority of employers see the importance of numeracy skills, although there is slightly less importance placed on numeracy skills than literacy or digital.
In the 2019 ESS, up to 57% of employers noted lack of skilled staff preventing them from expanding or taking up new services or working practices.
Improving workplace numeracy is something that everyone in the workplace can benefit from. Not only does it add value to your employees, but it also adds value to your business.
A common misconception in the workplace is that only office workers use maths every day. Workplace numeracy is not just sitting down and doing sums with a paper and pen, it can include tasks such as estimating the time it takes to drive between different work sites, understanding and being able to talk about company data and scaling quantities of orders.
Math skills are essential for many jobs, and they can significantly improve employees’ performance and confidence. By strengthening these skills among your workforce, you can improve the efficiency of your business, reduce your reliance on key staff, and avoid costly mistakes.
Find out more
Discover more about the government’s life-long learning initiative and take their online quiz to check your numeracy level at www.skillsforlife.campaign.gov.uk.
