Telford College has welcomed the Prime Minister’s pledge to improve numeracy skills among young people, describing maths as ‘more important than ever’ in the modern-day working environment.

Rishi Sunak says he is looking to ‘reimagine the approach for numeracy’ across England to ensure all pupils continue to study maths in some form until the age of 18.

It comes at a time when Telford College is already stepping up its maths provision, including plans to open a new maths and digital training hub in the heart of the town centre.

Telford College deputy chief executive Janet Stephens said: “Maths and English form a key part of the Government’s levelling up programme, and opens up pathways to the maximum number of courses and job opportunities.

“It’s one of the reasons we are so excited to be working with Telford & Wrekin Council and local businesses on creating a new digital skills and enterprise hub in the town’s Station Quarter.

“The centre will be placing maths at the very heart of a modern, technology-driven curriculum.”

She added: “Maths and digital qualifications are a vital pathway to higher quality and better paid career opportunities for the people of Telford – more important than ever.

“We want to equip them for careers in sectors such as cybersecurity, AI and robotics, virtual and augmented reality, cloud computing, wireless technologies, 5G innovation, and a whole lot more.

“It’s important that we make maths relevant to real-life practical scenarios wherever possible, because it is vital for everyone – whether that’s planning family finances, searching for mortgages, or looking after your savings.”

Around eight million adults in England have the numeracy skills of primary school children, according to Government figures, while 60% of disadvantaged pupils do not have basic maths skills at the age of 16.

Maths courses including Functional Skills and GCSE for adults will be offered at the college’s Station Quarter base, along with computer science and further maths studies for pre-16 pupils – working in close partnership with local schools.

Telford College’s latest maths GCSE results were ahead of the previous exam period in the year before Covid, and the number of students achieving high grade passes of 4 or above was 12% up on the previous year’s national average.

• Click here to find out more about Telford College’s maths courses