British Council 2014

Improve your English, Maths and IT skills

Improve your English, maths and IT skills
Improving your reading, writing, maths or Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills
can lead to a better job or to further study like National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs).
Courses
Courses are available at different levels and you can take them at:
further education colleges
adult education centres
some libraries
other training providers
English and maths qualifications
These are sometimes called Skills for Life or basic skills qualifications. Theyre based on national
standards recognised by employers and colleges. A range of qualifications are available.
You can take an English and maths qualification if you:
are over 16
have left compulsory full-time education
have English and maths skills below level 2 (GCSE) standard
Subjects available
Qualifications are available in:
English/literacy
Maths/numeracy
ICT
English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
Qualification levels
Qualifications are available at the following levels:




entry level (ICT is only available at this level)
level 1
level 2
Qualifications in ICT
The European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) is a qualification from the British Computer
Society which is recognised internationally. You can do it in a learning centre or as a flexible
distance learning course.
The Computer Literacy and Information Technology (CLAIT) course is a nationally-recognised
qualification. You can study it at 3 levels - new, plus and advanced.
You can find out more about the ECDL and CLAIT qualifications on the National Careers Service
website.
Find a course
You can look for courses near you using the National Careers Service course search or by calling
the helpline.
National Careers Service helpline 0800 100 900 8am to 10pm, 7 days a week
Help with learning costs
Literacy and numeracy courses are available for free.
If you need help to pay for your course you may get Discretionary Learner Support.
National Careers Service can advise you on help with learning costs.