Adults in Leicestershire looking to improve their numeracy skills and businesses looking to upskill their workforces are set to benefit from a £3 million project which will allow Leicestershire County Council to deliver hundreds of free courses over the next three years.
The council has submitted a bid to the Department for Education which would secure the authority a £3 million slice of the UK Shared Prosperity fund to allow it to deliver the national Multiply programme.
Funding for Multiply in Leicestershire is part of a national £2.6 billion investment through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which is designed to help spread opportunity and level up the country. Up to £559 million in total will be invested across the UK to support the delivery of the government’s Multiply programme.
Multiply aims to level up opportunities for more people by increasing their confidence with numbers, giving them the tools they need to improve their job prospects and life chances, help children with the schoolwork and feel more confident managing their household budgets.
Set to launch this autumn, it will offer adults who do not already have a GCSE grade C/4 or higher in maths or equivalent, and need to improve their numeracy, free flexible courses that fit around their lives.
Boosting people’s numeracy skills improves lives and that’s why we’re keen to team up with partners on this important bid.
It also bolsters our support for businesses in the county. We’re at the heart of one of the fastest growing economies in the UK and securing this Government money will help our work to boost skills, create jobs and support firms to thrive.
“Securing much-needed Government funding for a growing Leicestershire is key and will enable us to offer more opportunities to level up the county.
Person:Councillor Nick Rushton, Leader of Leicestershire County CouncilCourses will be available:
- across Leicestershire in person or online, at work or at home, and either on a part time or intensive basis
- to anyone who fits the criteria - but there will be a particular focus on supporting hard to reach learners and those who may not traditionally engage with adult learning courses
Multiply will be led by Leicestershire County Council’s adult learning service, working with partners including colleges, businesses, district councils, voluntary organisations and community groups.
Employers who could benefit from boosting their workforce’s skills will be able to work with the council and training providers to deliver maths GCSEs, work-ready functional skills qualifications or programmes tailored to the needs of their workforce.
Education, skills and training deprivation has been highlighted as a key issue within Leicestershire, with low numeracy skills acting as a barrier to employment for a large number of residents, particularly in the County’s largest employment sectors - manufacturing, technical and retail.
The Multiply programme also aims to improve the financial well-being of individuals and families by supporting them in managing money, becoming financially self-sufficient and ensuring parents are able to support their children with numeracy-based homework.