Multiply Awards Celebrate Adult Learners Numeracy Achievements

The Isle of Wight Council’s Adult Community Learning team hosted the Multiply Awards ceremony last night (Tuesday), shining a spotlight on the outstanding achievements of adult learners in numeracy.

The event, held at Westridge, Ryde, was not just a celebration but also a testament to the commitment of individuals and schools across the Island to enhance their mathematical skills.

The Multiply numeracy project, a government-funded initiative, has been instrumental in offering maths courses to adults aged 19 plus since 2022.

The project aims to empower individuals with better numeracy skills for everyday life, whether managing household finances, assisting children with homework, interpreting media statistics, or advancing career-specific math knowledge.

The ceremony, coinciding with National Numeracy Day, recognised 15 award winners for their remarkable progress.

Among them were individuals like Kathy Wheeler, who began her journey with a family learning course at her daughter's school intending to brush up her skills to support her children with their homework.

She has since expanded her skills to include computer courses and maths and English qualifications.

She advises prospective learners:

“It’s easy and there’s nothing to worry about – you won’t be chucked in at the deep end, you’ll be assessed, and you’ll be taught individually according to your needs, and at the right level for you”.

Lanes End, Queensgate and Dover Park primary schools were also praised for supporting family learning in their schools.

Megan West’s success story includes completing a maths course at the Isle of Wight College in order to secure a university place.

Chiedza Muzhona’s ambition to become a maths teacher led her to complete a functional skills maths qualification before progressing to The Award in Education and Training as her first teaching qualification and since secured a teaching job.

Amelia Bowers’ showed huge dedication to her course which saw her juggle home commitments, she started on a distance learning programme and then attended an intensive fast-track course to achieve her Functional Skills Maths level 2 qualification.

Cllr Jonathan Bacon, Cabinet member for Children’s Services, Education and Corporate Functions said:

"I am inspired by the range of different learning opportunities people have taken in order to improve their numeracy skills.

"Everyone should be proud of their achievements and the impacts it has at home and work.

"Sharing your learner journey will help to inspire others to give adult learning a try. I extend my thanks to the families and friends who have provided support and to the partner organisations who have made the Multiply project a success.”

Councillor Karl Love, Chairman of the council, participated in the event, marking his debut in this new role.

The Multiply initiative continues to support numeracy development across island communities and workplaces until March 2025.

For more information on how Multiply can benefit you or your organisation, please contact Adult Community Learning on 817280 or visit the website.