78% of adults in England have numeracy levels below the equivalent of a C at GCSE, yet ‘good numeracy is the best protection against unemployment, low wages and poor health’ according to Andreas Schleicher, the Head of Education Research at the OECD. Poor numeracy is the productivity ‘elephant in the room’ – but it can…

Skills provision and employment related support are two sides of the same coin, surely, asks Kirsty McHugh? Many long term unemployed jobseekers have, almost by definition, significant skills needs – both in terms of basic skills and vocational skills. Indeed, most Work Programme providers are reporting basic skills gaps in around 30 per cent of…