 Millions of people are being encouraged to "brush up" their skills, gain a qualification and improve their confidence at work with the New Year launch of Get On campaign advertising. The gremlins are set to return to our screens in the next round of advertising, specifically targeting the millions who are known to be in work but also have literacy, language or numeracy skills needs. The latest advertising campaign began on December 27 and targets people who may be considering ways of improving their career prospects in the New Year. The campaign is part of the Government's Skills for Life strategy which aims to help 2.25 million learners gain a national qualification by 2010. By July 2004 an estimated 556,000 learners had achieved their first national Skills for Life qualification and the campaign was on track to reach its milestone target of helping 750,000 people achieve literacy or numeracy qualifications by the end of 2004. The latest phase of the campaign specifically targets those in work who are missing out financially as a result of their skills needs - workers with literacy, language or numeracy skills needs are likely to earn £50,000 less in their working life than the average employee. Ivan Lewis, Minister for Skills and Vocational Education, said: "Millions of people are held back in their working life because they do not have the skills and qualifications they need to take advantage of new challenges, changes or opportunities. "In launching the new campaign we want to ensure that people who need to brush up their skills and gain a qualification can take advantage of free courses around the country. All they need to do is call 0800 100 900 to find out about free local courses near them." One of the TV adverts features a man being tormented by his gremlin as he prepares himself to sign up for a college course. Having enrolled, the man watches confidently as his gremlin is emptied into a waste disposal truck. Another ad features a factory worker being pestered by his gremlin as he braces himself to open the envelope containing his results from the National Test. As he opens the envelope and pulls out a qualification the gremlin shrinks away and is finally squashed on the bottom of his shoe. In the third advert, a female office worker is taunted by her gremlin as she arrives for work. Again, as she discovers she has gained a qualification, the gremlin comes to a very sticky end. Press adverts, along with train and bus posters, will also show the gremlins being finally vanquished.
********** How to make sure the numbers add up With the January sales in full swing the nation is building up for a massive spending spree but many adults will end up spending more than they planned as a result of numeracy and literacy problems. It's not just relatively complex financial issues that some adults have problems with, such as APR on credit cards - as many as 14.9 million adults across the country lack the maths skills expected of an 11-year-old. But, for the millions of people affected, help is at hand with free courses on offer for adults wanting to brush up on their reading and maths skills. The courses, which offer an entirely different experience from people's school days, focus on helping adults improve their skills so they can deal with practical, everyday situations in life and work. As an added incentive the courses can lead to a nationally recognised qualification. Susan Pember, from the Department for Education and Skills, explains: "Shopping in the January sales can be a stressful time for the majority of us but for those who struggle with their reading and maths it can be full of pitfalls and worries. "Whilst many of us take for granted being able to work out how much we have spent during a shopping trip or the ability to read signs advertising special offers, there are still too many people who struggle with these everyday activities. "The message to everyone who experiences difficulties is to call 0800 100 900 and make it your New Year's resolution to get rid of your literarcy and numeracy gremlins and get on in your life." One adult learner who dreaded shopping trips was Pru Heathcote. Pru struggled with maths from an early age and, until recently, routinely had to trust the cashier to give her the right change. Determined to improve her counting skills, Pru enrolled on a course earlier this year and has since gone on to achieve her Level 1 National Numeracy qualification. She says: "Shopping was always a bit stressful but during Christmas and the New Year it was a major headache. I always used to find it difficult to calculate how much I had to spend on shopping and found it hard to calculate what I had spent as I went along. "It was amazing how a few little stocking fillers could really add up. I used a credit card for convenience sake but found that it was easy to overspend. A number of times I got a nasty shock when my bill dropped through the letter box. "Now that I've improved my maths skills I am really looking forward to shopping this January." It is estimated that people ran up debts of £12bn on their credit cards over the Christmas period. A survey last Christmas also estimated that the average person spends £388 on Christmas presents alone. To help people avoid the traps of overspending at this time of year the Citizens Advice Bureau, with the Get On Campaign, have developed six top tips for budgeting this month. 1. Plan ahead - work out what you can realistically afford before you go shopping. Make a list before you leave home so you aren't tempted to buy more than you need. 2. Don't be frightened by money matters. It's important for everyone, and especially people who struggle with reading and maths, to ask if you don't understand. Always give yourself a cooling-off period before signing up to extended warranties or store cards. And if you can't read the small print don't sign for anything. 3. Don't be talked into signing up for store cards with offers of discount on your purchases. In the long run, it's worth taking time to think about it in the comfort of your home and asking friends or family for advice before signing up. 4. Deal in cash only as this will help you keep track of how much you have spent. Spending cash, rather than putting it on credit cards, makes it seem more "real" and keeps the financial calculations as simple as possible. 5. Don't be afraid to ask. If something is marked with a percentage discount and you are not sure what the actual cost will be ask a shop assistant and don't be afraid to put it back on the shelf if it costs more than you want to pay. 6. Get help and improve your confidence - if you think you need to brush up on reading, writing or maths skills, call LearnDirect on 0800 100 900 and find out more about the free courses available in your local area. The Get On Campaign is part of the Government's Skills for Life Strategy which aims to help 2.25 million learners gain a national qualification by 2010. The campaign, featuring the now-famous gremlin characters, was launched in 2001 to specifically target the millions of people with literacy, numeracy and language needs. | 
