A NEW course has been launched at Metropolis, Coventry’s only training restaurant, to help build adults’ confidence around numeracy and to teach them practical life skills, writes Mia Whitehouse.
Multiply – the Warwickshire Counts Programme – is aimed at anyone over the age of 19 who does not have a grade C in GCSE maths, or equivalent.
The scheme is run by PET-Xi on behalf of Warwickshire County Council.
Business leaders and funding partners were invited to the launch, where students took part in a live session of the ‘Cooking Counts’ module, covering the basics of budgeting, working out a basic spend, food prep and planning of ingredients – enabling them to use their numeracy skills.
A question and answer session also took place where people spoke out about the difference the course had already made to their confidence in maths and teaching.
Julie London, a PET-Xi maths tutor, spoke about the anxieties people could have in adult life due to a lack of understanding in maths.
“What Warwickshire Counts aims to do is break down basic concepts like calculations, fractions, and measures, into practical, relatable problems that people can understand.”
Students take two assessments – an initial one for PET-Xi tutors to tailor their course depending on their skills and a second at the end of their course to earn either a Level 1 or 2 maths qualification.
PET-Xi’s head of skills, Leia Welland, said: “Multiply gives people the foundations they need to boost their confidence in numeracy and support them into the career they aspire to.”
Multiply programme manager Claire Williams added: “The skills gap is something Warwickshire needs to address, and courses like Warwickshire Counts are a brilliant way of doing this.”
Anyone wishing to apply should call Kerri Bowers on 02475 311814 or email her at [email protected] for more.
