Upskilling staff in maths could equal further success

A course aiming to help Herefordshire companies upskill their staff in maths at no cost to them is being launched by a leading training provider after great success in the West Midlands.

The ‘Multiply’ programme, which helps working adults upskill in numeracy to support them in the workplace, is being run by national Coventry-based training provider PET-Xi in the county after the firm was contracted by Herefordshire Council.

PET-Xi is aiming the course at various business and organisations in Herefordshire who may not have the time or capital to enrol their staff on a typical training programme.

The firm will be delivering the programme in different variations to be accessible to workers of different abilities – including a ‘maths homework club’ to give parents confidence in helping their children with maths and an ‘essential skills’ variation which combines numeracy, ESOL and digital skills.

PET-Xi will begin delivering Multiply in Herefordshire on behalf of companies after successfully training more than 300 people in the West Midlands and Warwickshire.

Kate Manola, Multiply Contract Manager at PET-Xi, said: “Maths is a subject that plenty of people may have found difficult during their school days, and subsequently pushed it to one side.

“It means that companies may employ a number of people who lack confidence in their numerical skills. Certain companies may recognise this as a problem, but cannot afford to pay for extra training.

“What Multiply does is refreshes learners with basics maths skills at no cost to their employer. This enables learners to not only build their confidence in maths again, but also benefits the businesses they work for.

“Completing the course makes it more likely they can progress onto more complex maths skills which may be required to excel in certain jobs, and businesses that invest in their employees’ numeracy skills tend to see increased productivity and higher retention.

“We’ve already had great success delivering the programme in the West Midlands and Warwickshire, and we’re delighted to be bringing it to Herefordshire as well.

“We hope to see similar results in Herefordshire and look forward to welcoming new learners onto the course.”

Learners taking Multiply 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 skills. The learners then take an assessment at the end of the course and earn either a Level 1 or 2 qualification. Courses are either delivered in-person in Hereford, or in online classrooms.

For information, contact Kate on amanola@pet-xi.co.uk.