NI adults benefit from Essential Skills training

Over 23,000 Northern Ireland's adults are benefiting from the Government’s Essential Skills campaign, it has emerged today.

The campaign, which has been fronted by the ‘Gremlins’ and recently celebrated its third anniversary, has helped participants brush up on their reading, writing and maths skills.

Minister for Employment and Learning, Maria Eagle, today welcomed the success of the campaign.

She said: “For many adults in Northern Ireland, the difficulties they experience with reading, writing and maths are not only an inconvenience, but can often have a severe impact on their quality of life.

“Filling in job applications, getting a driving licence or even taking courses at work, all of which enhance our quality of life and job prospects, can be a challenge to many. This lack of good Essential Skills can prevent people going for promotion at work, managing their finances effectively, or even helping their children with homework.”

The investment into the Essential Skills is not only helping improve the quality of individuals’ lives, it also plays a key role in the Government’s recently unveiled Skills Strategy, which aims to secure the competitiveness of the economy by raising the skills levels of the workforce.

Emphasizing the importance of the Essential Skills campaign to the economy, the Minister said: “We realise the fundamental importance of raising skills levels locally. By improving the levels of reading, writing and maths in the workforce, we are not only enabling employers to unlock the potential of their staff, we are also enabling thousands outside the labour market to take their first steps into employment and out of exclusion and disadvantage.”

The Minister concluded by welcoming the news that so many people had benefited from the programme and managed to "beat their gremlins."

She said: “It is encouraging to see the number of people who have already responded to our campaign. These individuals have taken the first important steps in overcoming the barriers that often prevent people from fulfilling their full potential.”

For more information on the Essential Skills programme, and for details on the free courses available, contact 0800 100 900.

(EF/SP)