Central Bedfordshire Council and Bedford Borough Council have been allocated £2.2million in funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to deliver the government’s new programme called Multiply.

The Multiply programme is designed to support residents who are 19 years old and over, who live or work in Central Bedfordshire or Bedford borough and who don’t have a maths qualification (equivalent to GCSE grade C+). The free courses provide an opportunity for adults to boost their confidence with the maths they use at work and at home.

Bedfordshire Employment and Skills Academy (BESA) at Central Bedfordshire Council has used the funding to develop courses which will help people develop their maths skills for everyday life including money skills, and shopping on a budget. Some courses include generous incentives to support learners, such as free food vouchers and goody bags with house and food essentials.

The courses are also suitable for local businesses; helping employees improve their numeracy skills can boost their confidence with numerical tasks like handling money and data. For those who are parents, it will also support them with helping children with homework outside of work.

BESA can also develop bespoke courses to fill numeracy gaps identified by businesses. BESA can deliver these courses either in person or virtually on Microsoft Teams. There will also be eLearning modules available to suit flexible learning.

To learn more about how Multiply can support your business, please contact Holly Keeling, Multiply Engagement Officer: holly.keeling@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk.

More information on upcoming courses is available on our flyer.