York and North Yorkshire to spend £3m on adult numeracy skills

The project aims to help adults with no formal qualifications improve their skills

More than £3m is to be spent on providing free maths classes for adults in York and North Yorkshire.

The cash is part of a three-year plan to improve adult numeracy skills in the area, which is one of the worst-performing in the UK.

The money will come from the government's Shared Prosperity Fund, which aims to help people secure jobs through better skills.

The proposals will be submitted to the government for approval by 30 June.

North Yorkshire County Council's executive approved the plans with the leader Carl Les describing it as a "hugely important piece of work".

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Mr Les said: "I'm very pleased we have got this funding, given that those of us who have had the benefit of a good education, and therefore are literate and numerate, should do whatever we can to support those who haven't."

The authority is working with the City of York Council on the scheme, which is targeted at adults aged over 19 who do not have any formal qualifications.

A study by the charity Pro Bono Economics in 2021 found more than 60% of working adults in Yorkshire and the North East had low numeracy skills.

It was one of the three worst-performing regions of the UK.

It said improving adult numeracy would help individuals "find employment, earn higher wages and lead healthier lives".

Councillor Annabel Wilkinson, executive member for education and skills at the county council, said the plan would support those in work improve their skills.

"They could dip in and out of this funding by having 10-minute breaks to do work online so their employers are not affected by the training," she said.

North Yorkshire County Council was awarded £2.6m and the City of York Council got £741,000 from the Shared Prosperity Fund.