Celebrating Maths Week Scotland: How the Multiply Project is Making a Difference

At Dundee & Angus College, we understand the value of numeracy in both life and work.  Through our Multiply Project, we offer a range of fully funded courses that help adults build essential maths skills in a flexible and supportive setting. Whether you want to advance in your career, continue your studies or simply feel more confident with everyday tasks, we have the right course for you.

Kirsty Paterson, Project Delivery Lead Multiply, said “The Multiply project really highlights our commitment at Dundee & Angus College to breaking down barriers in adult learning through innovative approaches and targeted funding.  We aim to create a lasting change in how numeracy and Maths are perceived and applied in daily life.”

Flexible Learning for Everyday Skills and Career Progression

Our Multiply Project offers a range of courses to help you build the numeracy skills needed in areas like healthcare, childcare, and business. Whether you are looking to improve your confidence with numbers for work or everyday tasks like managing your personal finances, courses such as Essential Numeracy for Employability and Personal Finance Skillsboost focus on practical real-life skills. These courses are flexible too and are designed to fit around your schedule with the support of dedicated tutors.

If you are considering a career change or further study, our Intermediate Mathematics Foundations course can help you meet university entrance requirements without the stress of formal exams. In just 16 weeks, you will cover key topics to prepare you for new opportunities.

Elle Mills, our student, said: “Having the flexibility of this course has helped me to balance my work and family life. It has given me an opportunity to get the qualifications that I needed to get onto the courses that I wanted.  It has opened doors that were not there before. I loved the job that I was doing but I felt like I needed a change.  I looked into getting a tutor to support me but the expense of that was not manageable, so when I saw that this was a fully funded course, I enrolled straight away. Going on to do life sciences is a huge and exciting change, a change that I would not have been able to make if it wasn’t for this course.”

We also offer a Preparing for Employer Related Numeracy Aptitude Tests course, which provides targeted practice to help you confidently take on the assessments required by employers, especially in careers like the emergency services or armed forces.

Numeracy for Specific Careers

Having strong numeracy skills can open doors in many careers. Our Numeracy for Healthcare course is designed with nursing in mind, helping you build practical skills like medication calculations and time management, which are essential for everyday tasks in healthcare.

Nicola Walsh, our student, said: "The Numeracy in Healthcare course was a great option for me. It can be completed in a relatively quick time, getting you where you want to be without fuss. It got me into social work, and Dundee University accepted it for the relevant maths grade that I didn't have. The learning materials were very easy to use, making the whole process smooth and stress-free."

If you are thinking about a career in childcare, our Numbers for Careers in Childcare course offers focused support to help you develop the numeracy skills you will need to succeed while also supporting children's early learning.

For small business owners, our Finance Skills for Small Businesses course provides easy-to-follow guidance on managing money, giving you the confidence to handle financial tasks and set your business up for long-term success.

Confidence with Numbers for Everyday Life

Maths anxiety can be a real barrier to learning, but our Multiply Project includes Maths Anxiety Confidence-Building Sessions to help you overcome these challenges. We also offer the Maths Homework Club in various locations across Angus to provide extra support for parents and guardians who want to help their children succeed in school.

Feeling confident with numbers doesn’t just create pathways for career opportunities, it improves everyday practical math skills that make life easier. With this in mind, our courses are designed to help you build practical skills for managing finances, saving energy costs, or calculating discounts when shopping.  

Chelsea McWhinnie, our student, said, “I was so scared of maths before, I would avoid it at all costs.  I did not do maths at high school as I was so scared of the subject, so I would not go to class. I would give my friends money if we were somewhere that needed cash and get them to pay.  I could not count the cash in front of anyone because I was so scared that I would get it wrong. I really thought that this course was going to be awful but from the very beginning, I knew that it was going to be different.  The introduction, the tutorials, and the one-to-one sessions on Teams has really benefited me and given me a love of learning.”

Your Path to Success

All courses offered through the Multiply Project are fully funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, making sure that you can access high-quality education without financial barriers. Whether your goal is to progress in your current career, pursue further study, or simply improve your everyday numeracy skills, Dundee & Angus College is here to support you every step of the way.

If you are over 19 and don’t have a National 5 Maths qualification, or if you are 16-18 and not currently in education or employment, we have a range of options available to help you build the confidence and skills you need to succeed in both life and work.

Whatever your needs, we are here to help you on your numeracy journey.