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Since December 2021 National Numeracy has been working with Lincolnshire Co-op to help improve number confidence among their colleagues. We spoke to their Learning & Development team to find out more about why they got involved, the value they’ve gained from the project, and their top tips for a business-wide approach.

Improving number confidence at Lincolnshire Co-op was never a tick-box activity. We didn’t think “Oh, maths is really topical at the moment, let’s get in on this” – instead it came from a recognised business need.

We were using a new recruiting system where people could find our vacancies, create a profile, allocate interview times…it was a one-stop shop. We were also implementing a new HR system where colleagues could request leave, access rotas, timetables, pay slips…lots of things that are more number-focused than you may realise. So, there was a lot of new stuff that our staff would be facing where being numerate was key. And not numerate in terms of things like Pythagoras, but everyday maths.

So, there was a real business need in relation to upskilling our colleagues, which went hand-in-hand with the need for digital confidence and literacy as well. It became a strategic focus for the CEO, Senior Leadership Team and board, to empower our colleagues with numeracy confidence and skills before we started rolling out the new system.

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