Blackpool numeracy project will add up to better jobs

Blackpool was awarded £770,000 earlier this year for the three year national scheme as part of its allocation of £5.1m from the government's Prosperity Fund.

A list of seven providers including Blackpool and the Fylde College has now been chosen to deliver the training which is hoped will boost skills and improve people's chances of finding employment.

A council report says the programme "aims to help people improve their ability to understand and use maths in daily life, home, and work – from household finances, to helping children with homework, to making more sense of the facts in the media and improving employability / job prospects."

Announced as part of the Levelling Up agenda, it is aimed at people over the age of 19 who do not have a GSCE at grade C (or equivalent).

The aims include helping more adults achieve a maths qualification, increasing the number of people on maths courses or taking up the chance of online learning.

It comes after an initiative to test financial skills among Blackpool youngsters found half of them failed.

The Centre for Social Justice carried out the tests among children attending the Boathouse Youth Project at Grange Park.

It said good numeracy skills were vital for helping youngsters learn to manage their finances when they reach adulthood.

Blackpool is also seeking to invest cash from the Prosperity Fund in projects including green initiatives and the Showtown Museum and Grundy Art Gallery.