DfE unable to demonstrate skills impact of £270m Multiply numeracy programme

The Department for Education (DfE) has been unable to prove whether its £270m Multiply programme improved participants' maths skills, according to a new evaluation. The scheme, launched to help adults improve their numeracy, was found to have successfully reduced anxiety around maths but lacked the data to show tangible skills progression among learners. The findings highlight ongoing challenges in measuring outcomes within adult education and skills provision. For local authorities overseeing skills and employment programmes, the evaluation underscores the importance of robust monitoring frameworks to demonstrate value for money and ensure interventions deliver genuine upskilling benefits for residents. While reducing numeracy anxiety represents a positive outcome, the inability to quantify skills gains raises questions about the programme's overall effectiveness in boosting workforce capabilities. Local government leaders may need to scrutinise similar locally commissioned programmes to ensure they can evidence both softer outcomes like confidence-building and harder metrics around qualification attainment and employment progression.