Start your accredited Functional Skills qualification in September

English and maths qualification courses are starting soon, and there's still time to enrol!

English and maths are skills for life

Achieving your qualification can unlock new opportunities

Functional Skills qualifications in English and maths evidence your ability to apply these important skills to real-life situations in your employment, education and everyday life.

A level 2 qualification is widely recognised by employers as a pass, allowing you to access higher level training and progress onto new job opportunities.

Functional Skills courses take around 6 months to complete. This is based on 2 hours of learning, plus around 1 hour of homework per week. 

BESA offers Functional Skills qualifications accredited the awarding body City and Guilds at:

• Level 1 (equal to GCSE grade 3 or D)
• Level 2 (equal to GCSE grade 4 or C)

BESA's Functional Skills qualifications are funded for adults aged 19 years and older who live or work in Central Bedfordshire and Bedford Borough, subject to meeting all funding conditions. 

What to expect when you enrol

When you register your interest, you will be sent an enrolment form to complete. You will need to complete some initial assessments which will identify your starting level.

You will then be offered a place on a course at the appropriate level. There are morning, afternoon and evening courses running, with three options for completing your learning. These include:

• tutor-led face-to-face sessions in local community venues
• tutor-led virtual sessions on Microsoft Teams
• independent study on an online platform with weekly tutor support via email

You can request a preferred method of learning and your start date may be subject to when the appropriate course is running. The independent study option is only available for those completing a level 2 qualification.

Your tutor will make sure you know the exam dates you are working towards. If you don’t pass your qualification, we’ll offer further support sessions to build confidence and resit opportunities.

When can you start?

There are English and maths Functional Skills qualifications starting in September 2024. If you complete your enrolment form and initial assessments within good time, you can start your qualification as early as next month!

There are courses starting later in the year if you are unable to start in September. Please register your interest to be added to a waiting list for these later dates.

Hear what learners have said

Read more about Functional Skills qualifications on our website

See our website for further information about BESA's English and maths offer, as well as a timetable of upcoming courses for each.

To read more, please click on the buttons below.

Alongside our partner training providers, we can support you to access education and training to build skills that will improve employability, support career opportunities, and enhance wellbeing.

We deliver a range of short courses, qualifications, apprenticeships and employability support. Find out more on our website.