Government Cash To Fund Free Numeracy Courses

A programme to help adults in Leicestershire improve their numeracy skills is to launch after the county council secured £3 million of government funding.

It means hundreds of free courses and workshops will be made available over the next three years, to people who don’t have a GCSE pass in maths.

‘Multiply’ is a national programme through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), which is designed to help spread opportunity and level up the country.

Councillor Christine Radford, cabinet member for adults and communities, said: “Numeracy is a vital skill that has so many practical applications in everyday life, and boosting those numeracy skills improves lives.

“The £3m funding we have received from the government will allow us to roll out this important project, which will help to support people, communities and businesses. It will enable us to offer many more opportunities to level up the county.”

Multiply courses will be available across Leicestershire in person or online, at work or at home, either on a part-time or intensive basis.

Anyone aged 19 or over who fits the criteria will be eligible for the free courses – but there will be a particular focus on supporting hard-to-reach learners and those who may not traditionally engage with adult learning courses.

More information on the national Multiply programme is available at https://skillsforlife.campaign.gov.uk/courses/multiply