Posted on Thursday 19th January 2023
Philip White
People wanting support and guidance in managing their household budgets to help ease cost of living pressures can sign up for free courses as part of a county council-led initiative.
As part of a national Government adult numeracy programme, the county council is working with learning and skills organisations to provide courses to boost people’s skills and confidence with numbers. These include ones focused on household budgeting and debt management which could make a difference during the current economic climate.
Recently launched courses are Finance and Debt Management (available countywide), Citizens Advice one-to-one sessions (countywide), The Money Course (Cannock Chase, Newcastle-under-Lyme, South Staffordshire, Stafford Borough, Staffordshire Moorlands and Tamworth) and Step up to Money Matters (Staffordshire Moorlands).
Other courses help with people’s day-to-day numeracy and can lead to maths qualifications.
The county council secured £4.2million from the Government as part of the £570million Multiply scheme. It is a three-year fully funded programme, giving people the opportunity to learn when and where they want. Courses are both online and in-person, easy to access and suited to people’s needs and lifestyles.
People can find out more about the programme at: https://bit.ly/ExploreFreeCourses
Staffordshire County Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for economy and skills Philip White said:
Managing household budgets is an important task and this has been heightened by the current economic climate. Improving numeracy skills can help everyday living and ease some of the pressures of financial management in the home.
The Multiply programme offers free and easy to access numeracy courses to suit everyone, whether that’s in person or online, and includes one-to-one guidance sessions. We’re working with local providers to support people where they need it most, whether it’s managing your finances, supporting children with homework or gaining qualifications which can lead to employment opportunities.
The courses are up and running now so we’d urge people to get in touch to find out more.”
Multiply is available to anyone aged 19 and over, and those seeking a qualification who don’t have GCSE maths grade C or equivalent.