A recent Skills for Life survey shows that 24% of adults (8.1 million people) lack functional numeracy skills and 15% (5.1 million people) lack functional literacy skills.
The government reform plan, New Challenges, New Chances: Further Education and Skills System Reform Plan: Building a World Class Skills System (December 2011), outlines the government's vision regarding further education and skills.
It confirms that Functional Skills and GCSEs are now seen as the appropriate qualifications for all learners. As a result, both Key Skills and the national literacy and numeracy qualifications closed for further registration in September 2012.
New accredited Functional Skills qualifications are available in:
- English;
- Maths; and
- ICT.
They are intended to enable people to apply English, maths and ICT in practical situations by choosing suitable skills and techniques to solve problems.
It is yet to be seen how the move to Functional Skills will influence the social care agenda. The links to the bottom left provide a number of self assessment and resource sites that may be of interest.
Functional Skills courses and support
- Base 87, Blurton
Base 87 is a free, impartial and confidential service for young people aged 13 – 25.
Functional Skills Support – identify your current skill level; identify your priority learning areas; improve your literacy
and numeracy skills. Click here for more information.
- Stoke-on-Trent College – courses at venues across the city
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Functional Skills – Maths
The course is designed to help you improve your Maths skills, using real life and work examples. It will cover different areas including working with numbers, understanding percentages and everyday measurements. Click here for more information.
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Functional Skills – English
The course is designed to help you improve your English skills, using real life and work examples. It will cover different areas of English including reading, writing and getting your point over to people when speaking. Click here for more information.
- Newcastle-under-Lyme College
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Functional Skills English Entry Level 1: Click here for more information.
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Functional Skills English Fast Track: Click here for more information.
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Functional Skills English Level 1 and 2: Click here for more information.
- Nacro Longton Foundation Learning Programme
This programme is for young people who want to develop new skills, gain qualifications and progress
into work, an apprenticeship or college.
The project is open to anyone:
• not in education;
• available for 16 hours a week; and
• committed to getting a job, apprenticeship or going to college.
Subjects you can study include City and Guilds Functional Skills. Click here for more information.