One in four adults need to improve their English and Maths skills to get on at work or in the home. If you would like to improve your reading, writing, speaking and listening or your maths skills, then there are lots of courses to choose from. Any courses you attend will be FREE and many will help you to work towards a first qualification. Improve your skills to:

• Feel better about yourself
• To be better at everyday tasks
• To improve your job prospects
• To help your kids

This is what one learner said about their course:

“I left school without any qualifications. I started an English course and really thought I could never gain a qualification. My tutor persuaded me that I was capable of gaining a National Test at Level 1. She gave me loads of help and I tried lots of sample tests first. I took the qualification on the computer and got the results straight away. I passed! I am the first one in my family to gain a qualification and feel really proud of what I have achieved. I feel so much more confident and I am now studying for a Level 2 qualification.”

If you think you would like to try out a course to improve your English or Maths then there or loads of options to choose from:

Literacy courses: if you feel wobbly on spelling; would love to get to grips with how to get the most out of your reading or writing, or would like to gain skills to help you speak and listen effectively, then try one of these courses. They are available at a number of levels for complete starters to adults who just need to fill in the gaps in their skills. You can also take one of the National Tests which are not as scary as they sound!

Numeracy courses: many adults struggle with keeping up to date with their spending or feel uncomfortable using metric measurements. To develop these skills and many more why not try a numeracy class? These classes are available at a number of levels for complete starters to adults who just need to fill in the gaps in their skills. You can also take one of the National Tests which are not as scary as they sound!

English for Speakers of Other Languages (FREE): these are courses if you are living permanently in this country. They will help you to improve your speaking and listening, reading and writing so that you can cope with day-to-day life in this country. You can also gain a qualification along the way.

Workbased Learning: many employers now offer short courses to help you improve your maths, English or IT for work. Why not ask your personnel manager or training officer? If you have a learner rep in your organisation, they can also help.

Family Learning (FREE): learn how to help your kids and improve your own skills at the same time.

Taster courses: (FREE) pick from a range of short courses of around 9 hours which could interest you, like interior design, computing and sport. Many of these courses are in local community venues and will help you to improve your English or Maths skills as well as learning about a subject that interests you.

GCSEs: gain a qualification in English or Maths to fill the gap in your CV.

NVQs: gain the skills you need for your job and gain a qualification on the job.

Key Skills: Key skills are a range of essential skills that underpin success in education, employment, lifelong learning and personal development. To gain a key skills qualifications in Communication, Application of Number or IT, learners need to undertake a simple multiple choice test and complete a portfolio of evidence.

Learndirect (FREE): if you like learning on a computer, study from home by going online.

Jobcentreplus (FREE): if you are claiming benefits, there are lots of courses to help you improve your skills. You can even get paid £10 a week to attend on top of your benefits and payment for gaining a qualification. Just ask your advisor.

Entry to Employment courses (FREE): if you are 16-19 years old and are not sure what career direction to take, this is the course for you. Earn up to £50 a week and improve your English and Maths while finding out about job options available. You can even try job tasters!