College to boost maths skills for Warwickshire workers

North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College (NWSLC) has been awarded £200,000 as part of the Government-funded ‘Multiply’ campaign to support individuals whose first language is not English to learn ‘the language of maths’.

Karen Bailey, Learning & Skills Manager for Maths and English at NWSLC said, “We often hear from businesses that their employees struggle with maths at work because they don’t understand the terminology. Our mission is to improve their knowledge so that they can successfully engage with work tasks where numeracy is key, from weights and measures to timekeeping and health and safety. The skills they gain will also help them in everyday life, to assist their children with homework and do their household budgeting.”

The maths and English team at NWSLC will work with individuals on the Multiply campaign and help them to progress on to achieve qualifications in maths that could unlock job opportunities or lead to higher pay. Students could also follow courses in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) or take GCSEs in maths and English in college. Karen added, “We have already seen huge success with this programme over the last year when we delivered similar training for Delifrance and Burts Snacks. All the training is timetabled around the working day and our team can accommodate shift patterns. Our delivery is highly flexible, and we will work with each employer to establish the best delivery model for their teams.

“We find that training groups who work together helps them to break down barriers to learning and support each other as they grow their skills. Ultimately, our aim is to make a positive impact on individuals and businesses as they see an improvement in productivity.”

Councillor Martin Watson, Warwickshire County Council Portfolio Holder for Economy, said, “Poor numeracy skills can hold people back from having the confidence to get on in life and into the world of work. We are very pleased to work with our partners across the county to really address local numeracy needs and make sure that, if adults have barriers to getting on and prospering in the workplace, we can help to overcome them.”

Marion Plant, OBE FCGI, Principal and Chief Executive of NWSLC said, "We're delighted to have been awarded this contract for Multiply which will help so many businesses and individuals across Warwickshire to gain the essential employability skills they need to progress with their careers."

Businesses that are interested in taking part in the scheme should contact the college via [email protected]. The training is due to be delivered by March 2025.