Shadow Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Tom Giffard MS, paid a visit to Whitehead-Ross Education’s office in Swansea to see first-hand how a programme is helping boost the employment prospects of adults across Swansea.
South Wales based Whitehead-Ross Education offers a selection of adult numeracy and digital skills courses to people across Swansea, through the Multiply programme, which is currently funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The programme aims to support 900 people to access free numeracy and digital skills courses which help to build confidence in numeracy, budgeting and finance, while also gaining new qualifications and skills that will improve their employment prospects.
A further 196 people have been supported to gain key skills and certifications, including their Construction Skills Certificates, to allow them to gain employment opportunities in the area.
However, there is currently no clear guidance from the UK Government on how these programmes will be supported when funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund ends this autumn and there are concerns about the impact this will have on the local community.
Tom Giffard MS, who is the Shadow Minister for Education and Welsh Language, said:
“Programmes like Multiply have such a positive impact on not only boosting an individual’s skills, qualifications and employment prospects, but also enhancing economic growth, social deprivation and anti-social behaviour in the local community.
“It is very concerning that the new UK Government has still not provided any clarity or guidance on how these programmes will be supported when the UK Shared Prosperity Fund comes to an end in the autumn. I would urge the UK Government to find a way of continuing to support programmes like these as they have such a positive impact on the communities in which they are delivered.”
Jo Osgood, Head of Skills (Wales) for Whitehead-Ross Education in Wales said:
“You would be surprised how many people lack the basic numeracy skills they require to get into employment.
“The Multiply course aims to help these people to gain those skills and qualifications they need to unlock job opportunities and access higher wages or further studies. It can also help in everyday life such as helping children with their homework.
Ian Ross, CEO of Whitehead-Ross Education added “Employability services like Multiply go far beyond securing employment.
“Our services often provide tailored and specialist support to economically inactive and disadvantaged groups of people across Wales, whose future could be hanging in the balance. The courses we offer enable people to improve their life chances by boosting their skills, experience and/or qualifications, which in turns helps to facilitate job opportunities, access higher paid jobs and improve their living standards.”
Learner, Safaralii Mirzoahmadzoda, who is undertaking the ESOL Maths course said:
“Being given the opportunity to be part of the Multiply programme has been amazing. It’s not only given me the opportunity to develop skills and qualifications, but it has also helped me to gain the confidence I needed to apply for jobs. I feel like it has enabled me to get my foot on the career ladder and change the direction of my life.
Whitehead-Ross Education is an adult education and social service provision that operates six training centres in South Wales and supports more than 3,500 people every year. Its work includes support for unemployed individuals to secure and retain jobs through employability programmes like Jobs Growth Wales Plus, adult education and social service provision.
