Member Article

Course boosting adults' numeracy confidence through cooking officially launched at Coventry restaurant

A new course helping improve adults’ confidence around numeracy while also teaching practical life skills was officially launched at Metropolis, Coventry’s only training restaurant.

Local business leaders and funding partners were invited to the launch of the ‘Multiply - Warwickshire Counts’ programme, run by national training provider PET-Xi on behalf of Warwickshire County Council.

The government’s Multiply programme is being delivered by PET-Xi to residents across Warwickshire and aims to help adults who do not have a GCSE at Grade C or equivalent in maths and want to improve their confidence and understanding in the subject. The cohort of students took part in a live session of the programme’s ‘Cooking Counts’ module which covers the basics of budgeting, working out a basic spend, food prep and planning ingredients out, all of which are designed to put their numeracy skills into practice.

They also took part in a Q&A where they spoke fondly of the difference the course has already made to their confidence in maths, and how much more focused the teaching is compared to their time at school.

Attendees also enjoyed a buffet and drinks prepared by the Metropolis team, who themselves are trainees working alongside professionals, learning every aspect of the hospitality industry. Julie London, maths tutor at PET-Xi said: “There are a lot of people in the UK who struggled with maths at school and as such have a lot of anxiety around these skills in adult life. “Most of the time, the issue is down to the teaching they had rather than because of the individual. What Warwickshire Counts aims to do is to break down basic concepts like calculations, fractions, and measures into practical, relatable problems that people can understand.” Students taking the courses have an initial assessment to determine their ability in maths, before undergoing guided learning with the help of PET-Xi tutors, who tailor the course depending on their skills.

They then take an assessment at the end of the course and earn either a Level 1 or 2 qualification. Leia Welland, Head of Skills at PET-Xi, said: “Having basic maths skills is so important in most career paths, but there are many adults who are unable to access employment opportunities because they don’t have relevant qualifications. “Multiply gives people the foundations they need to boost their confidence in numeracy and support them into the career they aspire to.

“We were really proud to promote the benefits of Multiply at Metropolis and seeing our trainees talk so fondly about the course and the impact it has had.” Claire Williams, Multiply Programme Manager at Warwickshire County Council, added: “The skills gap is something Warwickshire needs to address, and courses like Warwickshire Counts are a brilliant way of doing this.

“We’re delighted with how effective the course has been under PET-Xi’s leadership, and we think it will be another great way of helping adults better understand mathematical concepts.” Multiply - Warwickshire Counts is available to anyone aged 19 or over and living in Warwickshire who does not have a grade C in maths at GCSE or equivalent.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Matt Joyce .