How maths can make a difference:
It was following a Learning at Work Day session at KP Food’s learning centre, in Teesside, that Kath Ward, a training instructor, decided to take a maths qualification.
David Hedgecock, from the City of Sunderland College, had given a session on Skills for Life. Employees were encouraged to take skills assessments so they could go on to take courses in maths and English to suit their ability.
Kath teaches her colleagues all aspects of the production role from showing people how to pack boxes to running complex machinery. She is normally full of confidence, but when it came to maths it was a different story as she had none at all.
Kate has a great deal of determination and when she decides she wants to do something, she strives to do it to the best of her ability. She put a lot of effort into her maths classes, including spending many hours accommodating her studies around her home life. And now, having passed her test, she is keen to go on to the next level. It has also acted as a spur to her completing the first part of a Union Learning Representative course so she can then pass on some of her own experiences to learners.
Janette Taylor is a busy mother of two, an active member in her local church and a part time postwoman at Gloucester Mail Centre.
But with the threat of redundancy looming, Janette realised she needed to take time to improve her skills and enhance her cv if she was going to continue to provide for her family. It was through her CWU union learning centre that she was able to successfully complete a Level 1 and 2 maths qualification. Having the centre on-site meant that she could pop in before her duty started or during breaks.
Janette said: “The course used everyday situations to teach, such as how to scale up ingredient quantities when cooking a recipe for larger numbers of people, or how to work out how much money you save from a discount offered in a shop. Receiving help and guidance from my tutor, John Williams, was a great help.”
She is now thinking of doing an NVQ Level 2 in IT.
Susan Chan was an outgoing person until a period of ill health in 2009 meant that she was unable to work for six months. This dented her confidence and after applying for 30 jobs without luck, she decided she needed to take action.
Susan, who is in her mid-thirties, had had a variety of jobs ranging from retail sales to being a medical receptionist, but she had no formal qualifications. She enrolled on a short course designed to help the unemployed get back into work at Burnley College and in March 2010, Susan successfully achieved the national test in Numeracy Level 1. Almost immediately after gaining the Level 1 qualification, Susan was offered a job with the NHS as a support worker, providing administrative support and organising road shows on alcohol awareness. Susan’s new-found numeracy skills proved to be invaluable in her job in understanding and producing statistics.
Susan said’ “Studying maths made me feel more positive about what I can achieve, but, more importantly, the support from my union USDAW gave me confidence to go to interviews better prepared and less tense.”
Susan is now working towards Numeracy Level 2 and there’s no stopping her: she s already planning her next course.
