Numeracy Skills for the Workplace

Be able to recognise when to use numeracy skills in a work-related context.

Examples of when to use numeracy skills in the workplace could include:

• Calculating percentages/fractions of numbers of specific costs
• Dealing with money for activities – staff cost, equipment, refreshments
• Making payments to suppliers when calculations are required for part payment of invoices/multiple factors are required to determine actual payment
• Checking bills and invoices for equipment and supplies
• Working out the volume of drinks needed for an event
• Calculating staffing costs
• Organising work programmes / schedules e.g. hours of work, number of staff need
• Calculating how much of something to buy (e.g. how many disposable gloves in a complex situation or over a period of time)
• Recording and analysing information on computers and other technology to keep accurate records, e.g. of the number service users going on an outing.
• Calculating the number of staff needed for varying events and numbers of participants and calculating the resulting staffing costs
• Collating information about usage of bedding.

Using computers and other technology to record information and use to solve problems and assess trends/patterns or make predictions.

Assessment Criteria

• 1.1

  Outline how numeracy skills can be used to find solutions in different work-related situations.

Be able to select appropriate mathematical approach to solving work-related problems.

Possible mathematical methods identified could include:

• Working out a temperature range from measuring temperature in different paces or at different times – (e.g. water temperature; building / facility temperature)


• Calculating angles – (e.g. placing equipment at the correct angle)


• Decimal notation for money; approximation and rounding


• Calculating percentages, fractions and ratios (e.g. staff to customers ratios; percentage of a facility being used)


• Calculating percentage increases /decreases (e.g. increase / decrease in service users)


• Calculating area (e.g. number of rooms which fit in an area)


• Calculating averages (mean, median, mode; e.g. average number of services used per month; average age of participants)


• Complex and or overlapping time calculations (e.g. timings of bookings, start and end times, rota timings)


• Estimating skills – (e.g. the number of staff needed for specific events: the potential costs of equipment)
• Use of computers / technology such as spreadsheets to record and calculate data and financial transactions.

Assessment Criteria

• 2.1

  Identify possible mathematical methods that could be used to solve specific work-related problems.

• 2.2

  Select the most appropriate mathematical approach for each situation.

Be able to apply appropriate numeracy skills in a work-related context.

Appropriate numeracy skills will include applying the appropriate methods as detailed in learning outcome 2 (above) in addition to:

• collecting and collating complex data with multiple factors (e.g. number of children of specific age groups; costs of equipment in relevant multiples; prices of entry/usage with varying factors; booking records/quantities /timings; details of poster paint, crayons used, area sizes of border and wall paper for children’s play area or nursery).
• checking and evaluation procedures – for accuracy – (e.g. using calculators; computers and technology for checking manual calculations; checking calculations against estimates; rounding figures; using inverse calculations i.e. checking multiplication by calculating division; considering alternative methods which may have been more suitable). 

Assessment Criteria

• 3.1

  Collect and collate supporting information needed in order to apply numeracy skills in work situations.

• 3.2

  Apply different mathematical approaches, using the appropriate numeracy skills, to work-related problems or situations.

• 3.3

  Use appropriate checking procedures and evaluate their effectiveness at each stage.

Be able to interpret and communicate results in situations where they have applied numeracy skills in a work-related context.

Analysing findings could include:

• Using spreadsheets or paper/calculator to calculate, analyse and interpret complex data (e.g. for analysing results of events with multiple factors; comparing current and potential costs to make savings)
• Use of graphs, diagrams and, charts to present findings (e.g. graphs showing percentage of users using each area of a facility; diagrams showing design of a nursery layout, income and expenditure, charts showing percentage increase/decrease of energy use)
• Using fractions, ratios and percentages to make comparisons – (e.g. daily usage of a centre as a percentage of total usage; number of participants taking part in different activities as ratios; percentage increase / decrease to compare income / expenditure month to month, year to year;
• interpreting and identifying solutions can be shown through prepared feedback to a senior team member or by the use of programmes such as Excel to apply mathematical ideas in practical situations and being able to manipulate figures.

Mathematical justifications could be shown through report writing and may include:

• Clear comparisons with other data sets showing differences or similarities - (e.g. savings that could be made on staff costs; increases / decreases in equipment expenditure and usage over set time periods; changes in types of users / participants over varying periods of time; Variations in bookings / booking types / booking amounts; increases / decreases in missed bookings; increases / decreases in income)
• Identification of any errors or anomalies in the data
• Recognition of the accuracy and reliability of the data collected, analysed and interpreted
• Recognition of bias in the data collected and analysed – (e.g. significant increases in income, expenditure and customers, based upon large one-off events; differences in user figures based on detrimental events such as unplanned centre closures; increases in expenditure based upon external factors, i.e. increases equipment costs)
• Recognition that the correct mathematical methods have been used to collect, analyse, interpret and present data – (e.g. presenting customers over time as a line graph rather than a bar chart) presenting the number of service users as a percentage rather than a scatter graph).

Assessment Criteria

• 4.1

  Analyse findings from the mathematical approaches applied to work situations.

• 4.2

  Identify solutions to work-related problems or tasks based on their findings.

• 4.3

  Use mathematical justifications to explain their conclusions or recommendations to others.