Government minister visits college on National Numeracy Day

The Minister for Higher and Further Education visited West Lothian College on 17 May to highlight National Numeracy Day. National Numeracy Day celebrates the importance of numbers in everyday life, helping children, young people and adults to improve their mathematical skills.

Graeme Dey MSP had a tour around the college’s Livingston campus and met students and staff who demonstrated the importance of numeracy skills in subjects like computing, nursing, engineering and childcare.

The minister visited the college’s digital health hub where nursing students described how they have worked through their challenges with numeracy and are now applying maths skills when calculating the National Early Warning Score which is used in the NHS to improve the detection and response to clinical deterioration in adult patients. He was impressed that nearly all of these students, many of whom started college last year with no or few qualifications, have secured university places to become qualified nurses.

Next up was a visit to a busy engineering workshop, where the minister spoke with welding and fabrication lecturers as well as apprentices from local companies. He saw how important good numeracy and maths skills were to precision engineering.

The final stop of the day was a visit to one of the college’s outdoor forest classrooms where HND Childhood Practice students were teaching Preparation for Childcare students how to use play-based experiences to support the development of children’s numeracy skills.

West Lothian College Principal, Jackie Galbraith, said:

“Numeracy skills are important in many jobs, from nursing to computer programming. Some people are intimidated by numbers and this affects their confidence and prevents them from choosing certain qualifications or careers. Don’t let your fear of numbers put you off applying for a college course, we can help. Just let us know when you apply or start a course and we will find a way to support you.”