People who want to brush up on their numeracy skills to help with day-to-day tasks and career prospects can take part in a national challenge ahead of the launch of a new county council programme.

National Numeracy, a charity promoting adult skills, is running its Checktember campaign to encourage people to complete its online challenge. They're asked to take a very short everyday maths quiz and then get more confident through personalised videos for 10 minutes each day through September.

For more information on the online challenge people can visit www.nationalnumeracy.org.uk

Later this autumn, Staffordshire County Council will launch its Multiply programme – an adult numeracy skills scheme to help people boost job prospects and improve their day-to-day living.

The county council secured £4.2million from the Government as part of the £570million Multiply scheme. It is a three-year fully funded programme, giving people the opportunity to learn when and where they want. The scheme will be accessed through a new digital numeracy platform and local courses that will range from learning festivals to pop-up one to one support sessions.

The programme is aimed at approximately 17million adults or half of the working age population who are underconfident with numbers or have the numeracy skills of primary age children.

Improving numeracy skills can not only help career prospects, but also help with important tasks in the home including managing household finances and supporting children with their homework.

Staffordshire County Council's deputy leader and cabinet member for economy and skills Philip White said: "Improving your numeracy skills can help in everyday life, whether at work, managing household finances or helping children with their homework. It can also help career prospects, whatever your line of work.

"Many people are not confident about their numeracy skills including some in top professions. That is why we'd encourage anyone who feels like they could improve to take this challenge and maybe find out more about our Multiply programme.

"We have secured a significant amount of funding to run the Multiply scheme here in Staffordshire and we're looking forward to getting it off the ground. These will be easy to access and straightforward courses which will make a real difference.

"We'll shortly be announcing more details of the programme in Staffordshire and would urge people to get in touch to find out more."