WAES HELPS LAUNCH NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR ‘GET ON’ CAMPAIGN

Westminster Adult Education Service (WAES) helped Skills Minister Phil Hope MP launch a partnership with the National Market Traders Federation (NMTF) and the Department for Education and Skills’ Get On campaign at Church St Markets on Tuesday, 14 November 2006.

Market traders up and down the country have joined in the effort to target the 14.9 million adults who don’t have the skills to pass a maths GCSE.

Phil Hope launched the partnership with the NMTF by getting behind a local stall to serve fruit and veg with stall owner Charlie Cook.

Phil Hope paid tribute to the Numeracy skills of the nation’s 46,000 stallholders: “This partnership with the NMTF is right on the money and shows the importance of good maths skills. Market traders can tot up bills without a moment’s thought – after all, how often do you see a till on stall? As confident counters we think they set a great example for people who might be less sure with their maths, and we believe they are keen to make the most of their very visible role in the local community.

Joe Harrison, president of the National Market Traders Federation said: “We are delighted to be supporting the ‘Get On’ campaign and to be promoting the importance of Numeracy and literacy skills for adults. As market traders, we are proud of the skills we have developed and use as part of our daily work and we think we could really help to spread the learning message to the thousands of customers we serve each day.”

Charlie Cook, market trader and Chairman of the Church Street market added: “I have worked as a market trader all my life, and take my maths skills for granted. However when I think about how often I need to calculate costs in my head, and how much slower I would be at my job if I had to use a calculator every day, I realise how important they are. I’m looking forward to working with the Get On campaign, and would encourage anyone out there who doesn’t feel very confident with maths to find out more about the campaign, to build on what they can already do.”

Westminster Adult Education Service (WAES) offers many free courses to students of all levels whether they need to brush up on their maths skills or want to get into to higher education or a better job.

All our students have an individual interview assessments to assess current skills, needs and interests so students can receive an individual learning plan.

Courses we Offer:

Entry Level Numeracy: Designed for those wishing to step back into education or employment.

Adult Numeracy Levels 1 & 2: Designed for people wanting to gain a further qualification or improve their job skills.

Move On Adult Numeracy: Designed to help students brush up on their Level 1 & Level 2 skills before taking the National Tests.

If you would like more information on how to enrol in a course call us now on 020 7297 7297.