Coleg y Cymoedd awarded £3.4m by Westminster for new maths scheme

A leading college in the South Wales valleys has been awarded £3.4m by the UK government to run free adult maths and numeracy classes across Rhondda Cynon Taf and Caerphilly.

From November 2023 to March 2025, Coleg y Cymoedd will provide sessions for anyone over the age of 19 who does not currently have a maths GCSE to support them to acquire a selection of numeracy qualifications.

The funding, part of Westminster’s ‘Multiply’ programme which aims to improve adults’ maths skills, will be made available across the college’s Aberdare, Rhondda, Ystrad Mynach, and Nantgarw campuses as well as at various locations across both boroughs including community facilities.

A selection of courses will be offered in both English and Welsh including essential skills in numeracy, GCSE Maths, and online numeracy. Each course will be tailored to learner’s skill levels and abilities, with a mix of face to face and online support provided.

Coleg y Cymoedd has partnered with a number of organisations including Adult Learning Wales, Equal Education Partners, Bridgend College and Coleg Gwent, to engage with communities who may have previously struggled with access to further education. It has also collaborated with n-ergy, a vocational training and employment support organisation, to offer tailored courses for recent prison leavers and those soon to be released to help them gain qualifications and support their employment.

Matthew Tucker, Assistant Principal at Coleg y Cymoed said: “Maths and numeracy are such important skills to have, both on an everyday personal level, but also when it comes to furthering one’s education or gaining employment, so we’re delighted to be working with Rhondda and Caerphilly Council to offer free and flexible courses to the local communities across both counties over the next two years.

“It’s essential for us that we cater to as many different people who want to learn and improve their maths and numeracy skills, which is why we are offering a range of locations to make these courses as accessible as possible.

“The Multiply programme aims to boost learners’ confidence, helping them on the first steps towards formal numeracy qualifications, whether that’s so they can gain new job opportunities, help them calculate their finances, assist their children with their homework or prepare them for future study.”

Learners can register their interest at: https://www.cymoedd.ac.uk/employers/multiply-2/

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