Have you seen the ‘Get On’ ad? You will remember it if you have. There’s Beryl, sipping tea and chatting about brushing up her maths. And Max, happy to have had a free maths DVD!

The imagery, as you can see, is ingenious. And the message comes through loud and clear. There is help available for anyone – at any age and in any walk of life – to improve their everyday skills.

Breaking the fear cycle

While most of us quietly hope that we don’t look quite so unusual as Beryl and Max, they do represent millions of us all the same. While we might be perfectly capable of carrying out our jobs, we might also be quietly struggling with reading, writing or numeracy. Perhaps to an extent that makes us feel less confident or embarrassed to put ourselves forward for a project at work.

Does this sound like a colleague or member of your staff?

The SkillWorks website shows employers how they can identify their own needs, and how to look for the telltale signs of a basic skills need in the workforce. These can include:

• avoiding written tasks
• not following procedures
• lacking confidence
• slow in completing tasks
• avoiding working alone
• regularly miscalculating.

Individuals wishing to brush up their skills can contact a Get On advisor (freephone 0800 66 0800) or visit www.geton.direct.gov.uk to find out what courses are available in their area.

Companies can also request a basic skills screening, identifying the needs of their workforce and advising on learning opportunities (in many cases fully funded) that can be carried out flexibly, on or off site, to suit the business and the learner. Contact the SkillWorks Gateway on 0845 602 0062 for more information.

First, why not take a quick Skills Check by clicking here.

...learning is easy when you know how

 

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