Archive Website of the UK government

Developing your skills

Improving your skills can help you to:

• plan your money
• get another job
• help your child with homework
• fill in forms
• give you new confidence

There's a wide range of courses you can take to help boost your skills. Some of these can lead to a qualification.

You'll be able to learn in your local area, and in a way that suits your lifestyle: part time, full time, during the day or in the evening. And you'll be with other like-minded adults. It's not at all like being at school.

• Improving your skills: getting started

Free advice on improving your skills

If you want an informal and confidential chat about improving your skills, call a National Careers Service adviser.

What’s involved?

Reading and writing (or literacy) courses cover speaking, listening, reading and writing.

Number (or numeracy) courses cover numbers, fractions and data; multiplication and subtraction; and measurement, shapes and time.

You might be asked to do a test before you start your course, to help your tutor decide which course is best for you.

Try a 'taster' course

Not sure about committing to a full course? It’s worth checking if your local learning provider runs ‘taster’ courses. These are short courses which let you practise your reading, writing and number skills, and give you an idea what a longer course would be like.

Find a course

Use the National Careers Service course search to find the right course for you - or to find your local learning provider.

• National Careers Service - course finder Opens new window

Learning online

Online quizzes and challenges

Test your word and number skills with a quick quiz - or take up a Brain Games challenge and compete for medals.

• Braingames: word and number quizzes and challenges Opens new window

Improve your skills online

The BBC Skillswise website also has lots of guides and tools to help you with your reading and writing.

• BBC SkillsWise: online games and activities Opens new window

Test your skills online

The Move On website lets you test your english and maths skills online, or find a local test centre if you want to get a qualification.

• Test your skills on the Move On website Opens new window

More places to learn online

There are lots of free online learning resources, including courses, games and quizzes - to find out more, see the article, 'e-learning'.

• e-learning

Do you have a passion for reading and writing?

Try a Quick Read!

Quick Reads are short paperbacks written by best-selling authors that are designed to be compulsively readable. The books are available in bookshops, supermarkets and libraries, priced at £1.99.

Ten new titles were released in March 2008, including books by Gordon Ramsay, Colin Jackson, Josephine Cox - and a new Doctor Who story.

• Find out more about Quick Reads Opens new window

Link up with other people

If you enjoy reading, writing or storytelling, you might want to get together with other like-minded people. Your local library is a great place to start looking for book clubs and other activities.

• Libraries and books (home and community section)

More useful links

• Returning to learning

• Skills for Life qualifications

Useful contacts