Our new Multiply project will help local people get confident using every day maths.
The Multiply initiative will give residents across Cornwall access to free flexible courses to improve their numeracy skills that can be used in the workplace or to secure better paid jobs, courses for parents wanting to get better at maths so they can help their children, as well as courses to help people get better at managing their money.
Funded by the Shared Prosperity Fund, we’ll be recruiting and training community based Multiply Champions to reach out to, encourage and reassure residents who may feel anxious about taking up a place on a Multiply numeracy course.
Our Champions will promote access to the Multiply numeracy programme, as they work with local education providers to develop links between schools, colleges and employers and act as the ‘front door’ to the programme for learners across Cornwall and Isles of Scilly.
Useful for everyday life
Launched earlier this year, Multiply is open to anyone aged 19 or over that doesn’t have a GCSE grade C/4 or higher in maths. Courses are being delivered by four of our partners across Cornwall and Isles of Scilly: Cornwall College Group, Cornwall Adult Education Service, Council of the Isles of Scilly, and Truro and Penwith College.
“The type of courses Multiply offers couldn’t be further away from the classroom maths that some people will remember from their school days”, says Martyn Blight, Operations Manager at Seetec Pluss.
“It’s much more practical and can help people with things like doing homework with their children, cooking, measuring up for DIY or even help with household budgeting. Basically, it’s learning numbers that are useful for everyday life. It’s fantastic seeing how much more confident people feel afterwards and the results can be quite life changing. Sometimes people even move into work or gain promotion as a result”.
Approachable
Henry Rosewall, one of the new Multiply Champions, works as a senior producer for local community company and Multiply partner, CHAOS.
“Our Multiply volunteers will be people who are already known and trusted within their local community”, says Henry. “It could be anyone – a volunteer from a local foodbank or someone who works in a library or cafe, through to hairdressers or even people who are retired that want to give something back. The important thing is our Champions are approachable, can chat through how it works with no judgement and will set people on the right path”.
