Marking National Numeracy Day 2023 – Minister for Employment

The Minister for Employment, Guy Opperman MP discusses this year’s National Numeracy Day, the importance of numeracy skills and its role in helping to grow the economy and create better-paid jobs.

I want to make sure everyone has the chance to improve their numeracy skills. As the Minister for Employment, I believe this not only builds jobseekers’ confidence in everyday life but is also vital to boosting their job prospects.

That’s why I am delighted to be supporting National Numeracy Day, with this year’s campaign highlighting key skills that can empower people to improve their skills and boost their confidence with numbers.

As the Prime Minister recently set out, if we strive for a higher maths attainment rate, by helping young people study some form of maths up to the age of 18, we will help to grow our economy and create better-paid jobs and opportunities for everyone.

From roles in engineering and finance, to sectors like tech, retail and the creative industries, it is clear feeling comfortable and confident with numbers is more important than ever. That’s why in our jobcentres across the country, we’re helping more jobseekers to train and upskill to improve their employability.

Our Jobcentres help job seekers and those already in work to identify barriers to progression and areas where they may require upskilling. By tailoring our support to meet individual needs, we can identify courses and opportunities to improve numeracy skills. Along with our toolkit, which offers free online high-quality courses to help boost digital and numeracy skills, we are turning jobseekers into highly desirable employees.

By Guy Opperman MP, Minister for Employment

National Numeracy has provided a range of free resources aimed at boosting number confidence in children and adults in the UK.

You can find out more here.