Latest news from º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ

30 Mar 2015

Building skills for life – º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ maths course aims to boost knowledge and employability

º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ will run a free online numeracy skills refresher course to help boost people’s employment prospects.

Poor numeracy skills can often be a barrier to employment and, with numeracy tests becoming a regular part of the recruitment process, the University’s Mathematics Education Centre is opening its doors to anyone who wishes to build on their basic understanding of mathematics.

The three-week FutureLearn course entitled Numeracy Skills for Employability and the Workplace is particularly suitable for those who have not had the opportunity to practice quantitative skills since school. It is designed to build confidence and develop essential skills for interpreting numerical data and understanding statistics, as well as refreshing specific numeracy skills such as percentages, ratios, averages, and currency conversions.

The course, which will run from Monday 15 June (second run Monday 19 October 2015), includes a step-by-step introduction to relevant topics and interactive quizzes to test understanding. There will be feedback at every stage.

The course is suitable if you are:

  • Applying for work placements or internships
  • Applying for employment
  • Applying for a course that requires you to pass numeracy skills tests
  • In employment seeking promotion or wishing to upskill
  • Anyone who wishes to refresh their knowledge of numeracy
  • Anyone who wishes to improve their mathematical confidence for everyday life.

º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ’s Dr Janette Matthews, Lead Educator for the FutureLearn course, said: “There will be many people who feel they just simply cannot do maths, but this course will demonstrate that you can overcome anxieties and worries in order to develop the mathematical confidence you need to succeed in both employers’ numeracy tests and the workplace.”

Participants will also be given the opportunity to purchase a Statement of Participation – a personalised, printed certificate to show that they have taken part in the course.

To register or to find out more click here.

Notes for editors

Article reference number: PR 15/41

 

  1. FutureLearn is the first UK-led provider of MOOCs (massive open online courses) and is wholly owned by The Open University. The website is designed to work on smartphones and tablets, as well as desktop computers, so that learners can access the material easily, regardless of their location.

  2. º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.

    It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, putting it among the best universities in the world, and was named Sports University of the Year 2013-14 by The Times and Sunday Times. º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’ and has been voted England's Best Student Experience for six years running in the Times Higher Education league. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.

    In 2015 the University will open an additional academic campus in London’s new innovation quarter. º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ in London, based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, will offer postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities. 

 

Contact for all media enquiries

Charlotte Hester

PR Officer
º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ
T: 01509 223491
E: C.L.Hester@lboro.ac.uk