English, Maths and ESOL
Gain essential skills
Looking to boost your confidence in English and Maths? Whether you are wanting to develop your literacy and numeracy skills to support daily life or gain essential qualifications to progress your career, our range of Functional Skills, GCSE and ESOL courses will help you achieve your goals.
Join a friendly and supportive environment where you can reach your full potential and open up new opportunities.

English, Maths and ESOL courses
Annual Openings:
30
Current employment:
745
Median Earnings:
£13,331.00
Educational requirements:
Level 2 NVQ
GCSE at grades A*-C
Age demographics
The graph shows the distribution of people in Company Secretary or Administrator by age group.
Age group | % |
16-24 years: | 0.14% |
25-34 years: | 12.49% |
35-44 years: | 14.3% |
45-54 years: | 24.79% |
55-64 years: | 28.66% |
65+ years: | 19.59% |
Annual earnings
The graph shows the annual earnings of people in Company Secretary or Administrator by amount.
Percentile | Earnings £ |
10%: | £5,450 |
25%: | £9,254 |
50%: | £13,331 |
75%: | £18,476 |
90%: | £24,217 |
Core tasks
- Ensures office supplies such as stationery and equipment are maintained.
- Undertakes reception responsibilities by greeting visitors and arranging refreshments.
- Answers, screens, handles and directs telephone requests and enquiries, takes messages and forwards to the appropriate member of staff.
- Arranges meetings, circulates agenda and other meeting documents, attends meetings, and takes and prepares minutes.
- Keeps appointments diary, makes travel arrangements and arranges conference and other functions.
- Files and retrieves documents, sets up and maintains filing systems and reproduces copies of documentation as required.
- Deals directly with routine correspondence.
- Uses appropriate software to produce correspondence, memoranda, reports, presentations and other documents from drafts, handwritten copy or by transcribing dictation.
- Opens, sorts, distributes and files correspondence (both hard copy and electronic).
Education Attainment Levels
The graph shows the education level of people in Company Secretary or Administrator.
Level | % |
Level 0: | 8.24% |
Level 1: | 2.45% |
Level 2: | 25.34% |
Level 3: | 23.52% |
Level 4-5 (Higher Education): | 12.94% |
Level 6 (Bachelors): | 24.09% |
Level 7 (Masters or equivalent): | 3.42% |
Employment numbers by year
The graph shows the employment numbers in Company Secretary or Administrator by year.
Year | Employment |
2022: | 708 |
2023: | 735 |
2024: | 745 |
2025: | 757 |
2026: | 766 |
2027: | 773 |
2028: | 779 |
2029: | 783 |
2030: | 786 |
2031: | 787 |
2032: | 789 |
2033: | 790 |
Hourly earnings
The graph shows the hourly earnings of people in Company Secretary or Administrator by amount.
Percentile | Earnings £ |
10%: | £8.64 |
25%: | £9.06 |
50%: | £11.96 |
75%: | £14.83 |
90%: | £18.29 |
Knowledge
- Clerical: Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
- Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Computers and Electronics: Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- Mathematics: Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Economics and Accounting: Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
- Personnel and Human Resources: Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labour relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
- Administration and Management: Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modelling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- Education and Training: Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
- Communications and Media: Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
- Psychology: Knowledge of human behaviour and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioural and affective disorders.
- Production and Processing: Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
- Public Safety and Security: Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
- Law and Government: Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
- Telecommunications: Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
- Sales and Marketing: Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
- Geography: Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
- Therapy and Counselling: Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counselling and guidance.
- Transportation: Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
- Engineering and Technology: Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
- Design: Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
- Sociology and Anthropology: Knowledge of group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
- Philosophy and Theology: Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
- Mechanical: Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
- Medicine and Dentistry: Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
- Foreign Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
- History and Archaeology: Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
- Fine Arts: Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
- Food Production: Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
- Chemistry: Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
- Biology: Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
- Building and Construction: Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
- Physics: Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
Skills
- Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Science: Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Workforce demographics
The graph shows the male/ female split in Company Secretary or Administrator.
Male | 6.14% |
Female | 93.85% |
Annual Openings:
350
Current employment:
5954
Median Earnings:
£31,730.00
Educational requirements:
Level 3 NVQ
A Levels
Age demographics
The graph shows the distribution of people in Plumber or Heating or Ventilating Installer or Repairer by age group.
Age group | % |
16-24 years: | 18.83% |
25-34 years: | 26.9% |
35-44 years: | 23.86% |
45-54 years: | 12.49% |
55-64 years: | 15.78% |
65+ years: | 2.11% |
Annual earnings
The graph shows the annual earnings of people in Plumber or Heating or Ventilating Installer or Repairer by amount.
Percentile | Earnings £ |
10%: | £18,475 |
25%: | £25,085 |
50%: | £31,730 |
75%: | £37,070 |
90%: | £47,106 |
Core tasks
- Repairs burst pipes and mechanical and combustion faults and replaces faulty taps, washers, valves, etc.
- Attaches fittings and joins piping by welding, soldering, cementing, fusing, screwing or other methods.
- Tests completed installation for leaks and makes any necessary adjustments.
- Installs fittings such as storage tanks, cookers, baths, toilets, taps and valves, refrigerators, boilers, heat pumps, radiators and fires.
- Measures and cuts required lengths of copper, lead, steel, iron, aluminium or plastic using hand or machine tools.
- Examines drawings and specifications to determine layout of system.
Education Attainment Levels
The graph shows the education level of people in Plumber or Heating or Ventilating Installer or Repairer.
Level | % |
Level 0: | 3.09% |
Level 1: | 7.12% |
Level 2: | 18.77% |
Level 3: | 61.69% |
Level 4-5 (Higher Education): | 4.22% |
Level 6 (Bachelors): | 4.78% |
Level 7 (Masters or equivalent): | 0.34% |
Employment numbers by year
The graph shows the employment numbers in Plumber or Heating or Ventilating Installer or Repairer by year.
Year | Employment |
2022: | 5131 |
2023: | 5737 |
2024: | 5954 |
2025: | 6170 |
2026: | 6340 |
2027: | 6481 |
2028: | 6601 |
2029: | 6674 |
2030: | 6724 |
2031: | 6758 |
2032: | 6782 |
2033: | 6799 |
Hourly earnings
The graph shows the hourly earnings of people in Plumber or Heating or Ventilating Installer or Repairer by amount.
Percentile | Earnings £ |
10%: | £11.5 |
25%: | £14.16 |
50%: | £17.87 |
75%: | £19.57 |
90%: | £23.53 |
Knowledge
- Building and Construction: Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
- Mechanical: Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
- Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Design: Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
- Physics: Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
- Engineering and Technology: Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
- Mathematics: Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Education and Training: Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
- English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Administration and Management: Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modelling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- Law and Government: Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
- Public Safety and Security: Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
- Chemistry: Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
- Computers and Electronics: Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- Production and Processing: Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
- Personnel and Human Resources: Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labour relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
- Transportation: Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
- Economics and Accounting: Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
- Clerical: Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
- Psychology: Knowledge of human behaviour and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioural and affective disorders.
- Communications and Media: Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
- Sales and Marketing: Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
- Geography: Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
- Telecommunications: Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
- Therapy and Counselling: Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counselling and guidance.
- Biology: Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
- Foreign Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
- Medicine and Dentistry: Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
- Sociology and Anthropology: Knowledge of group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
- History and Archaeology: Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
- Philosophy and Theology: Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
- Food Production: Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
- Fine Arts: Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
Skills
- Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Science: Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Workforce demographics
The graph shows the male/ female split in Plumber or Heating or Ventilating Installer or Repairer.
Male | 98.08% |
Female | 1.91% |
Annual Openings:
635
Current employment:
17980
Median Earnings:
£22,437.00
Educational requirements:
Level 2 NVQ
GCSE at grades A*-C
Age demographics
The graph shows the distribution of people in Customer Service Occupation by age group.
Age group | % |
16-24 years: | 25.79% |
25-34 years: | 27.02% |
35-44 years: | 18.57% |
45-54 years: | 15.34% |
55-64 years: | 11.83% |
65+ years: | 1.42% |
Annual earnings
The graph shows the annual earnings of people in Customer Service Occupation by amount.
Percentile | Earnings £ |
10%: | £8,034 |
25%: | £14,081 |
50%: | £22,437 |
75%: | £27,987 |
90%: | £35,378 |
Core tasks
- Informs customers of special promotions and new product launches.
- Addresses customer complaints and problems.
- Follows up clients to ensure their satisfaction with a product or service and to gain renewal of customer service agreements.
- Makes reservations, books tickets, organises insurance policies on behalf of customers.
- Discusses pricing processes with clients, agrees payment arrangements and handles customer accounts.
- Receives enquiries from potential and existing clients, discusses requirements, and recommends products or services.
Education Attainment Levels
The graph shows the education level of people in Customer Service Occupation.
Level | % |
Level 0: | 2.96% |
Level 1: | 4.79% |
Level 2: | 29.08% |
Level 3: | 28.56% |
Level 4-5 (Higher Education): | 9.03% |
Level 6 (Bachelors): | 21.87% |
Level 7 (Masters or equivalent): | 3.72% |
Employment numbers by year
The graph shows the employment numbers in Customer Service Occupation by year.
Year | Employment |
2022: | 17857 |
2023: | 17924 |
2024: | 17980 |
2025: | 18113 |
2026: | 18217 |
2027: | 18304 |
2028: | 18378 |
2029: | 18422 |
2030: | 18456 |
2031: | 18479 |
2032: | 18495 |
2033: | 18507 |
Hourly earnings
The graph shows the hourly earnings of people in Customer Service Occupation by amount.
Percentile | Earnings £ |
10%: | £11.33 |
25%: | £11.88 |
50%: | £13.01 |
75%: | £15.29 |
90%: | £18.53 |
Knowledge
Skills
Workforce demographics
The graph shows the male/ female split in Customer Service Occupation.
Male | 35.4% |
Female | 64.59% |



Reasons to join us at Barnsley College
1)
Expert tutors and supportive learning
Our experienced teachers provide high-quality instruction with personalised support to help you succeed.
2)
Flexible study options
We offer a range of class times for our part-time courses to fit around your work, family, and other commitments.
3)
Fully-funded learning
Our Functional Skills and ESOL 16-18 years courses are free to everyone, with funding available to those who meet the criteria for our GCSE and ESOL for adults courses. Check course pages for more information on funding criteria.