Trouble with Numbers?

On ITV's 'Tonight' programme aired on 30th October, it was revealed that "17 million adults in England have a competence level with numbers roughly equivalent to that expected of children at primary school", and it's costing the British economy an estimated £20 billion every year! 

Our philosophy at Steam Powered Stories in our administration of the What you say COUNTS! scheme, is that everyone can be good at maths, whether you are 7 or 47, and it is never too late to stop saying you CAN'T do maths and start believing you CAN! 

What you say does actually count when it comes to speaking to your child about maths, if you speak negatively, perhaps you say in passing, " I can't do maths",  "I was terrible at maths in school", your child will start believing they can't do maths too. 

 MIKE ELLICOCK, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, ‘NATIONAL NUMERACY' CLAIMED-

"We think the biggest challenge overall is that it's socially acceptable in this country to say ‘I can't do maths’…We know for example from international research that good numeracy is the best protection against unemployment, low wages and poor health... maths is absoultely crucial to your everyday life chances". 

To help support the younger generation so they can develop their maths skills, we come directly to schools and work alongside pupils through our various workshops and projects, that are maths focused, that are fun, and are more importantly educational! 

To find out more about our workshops, head up to the top of our blog page, and click the 'What do we offer' link. If you'd like your child's school to take part in one of our projects, or even perhaps you would just like a chat about the What you say COUNTS! scheme, feel free to call us on 01685 872385, you can also tweet us @SteamStories, or message us on facebook at facebook.com/SteamPoweredStories 

For you, the parent, start believing you can do maths today by trying out the Telegraph's new quiz, designed to put your maths skills to the test! Try it out for yourself now, or involve your child when they get home and answer the questions together :) 

Thanks for reading! 

To try the quiz today click the link below- 
the http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationquestions/11189665/Can-you-pass-primary-school-maths.html

To watch 'Tonight- Trouble with Numbers' or to find out more about the programme, click the link-

http://www.itv.com/news/2014-10-30/tonight-trouble-with-numbers/ 

Trick or Treat?

It's not only half term, but almost Halloween, and we want to prove that this Halloween, exercising your maths skills doesn't have to be a scary experience! 

Emily has lovingly created a fantastic maths work sheet that will not only keep the children busy this half term, but will help to improve their maths skills while they're at home, as they count down the days until they can dress up and say trick or treat. 

Below is a sneaky preview of the maths sheet. 

If you want to receive the full worksheet with a set of instructions, simply fill in the contact form on the left hand side of the blog, and we'll send the maths sheet and instructions straight to your email for FREE today! 

We have so many exciting things coming up on the What you say COUNTS! project. We are administering two maths workshops in both Carmarthen, and Swansea in November, and we are currently working closely with the University of South Wales to develop and provide the best services we possibly can. 

Stay tuned for more on the workshops and our work with the University of South Wales by heading back to this blog next Wednesday for a new blog post.

We hope you have a lovely Halloween! 

5 ways that maths is used in the fashion industry

Happy Wednesday! 

Today's post is an addition to our '5 ways' blog series, focusing on the multiple ways in which maths is used in the fashion industry. Based on the feedback and evaluation we received from our last event in Builth Wells High School, we discovered that a number of pupils thought that maths is not applied, and therefore not needed in the world of fashion; this post today aims to prove this theory wrong.   

If you want to be a frow-er, a fashion blogger, a super-model, or even strive to be the next Coco Chanel, you need to be good at maths! 

1) Cath Kidston, Julien Macdonald, Vera Wang, Karl Lagerfeld... 

So you want to be a fashion designer? You can draw, you have an eye for the next big trend, you have imagination, but do you know how to measure in inches, centimetres, and metres? Can you convert European sizes into UK sizes? Would you know how to calculate how many metres of fabric you would need to create that beautiful skirt to fit a model that is a size 10? 

Focus on developing you're maths skills and you'll be the next Christian Dior in no time! 

2) I'm a writer not a mathematician! 

If you're set on becoming a fashion journalist, you're going to have to work with strict deadlines, so calculating how much time you need to write and finish your piece is vital to you succeeding as a writer, and more importantly, to you keeping your job. In addition to meeting deadlines, many writers will attend meetings with editors, other team members, and perhaps you will have to schedule in meeting someone for an interview that could be vital to you developing in your career. 

3) Discounts 

 If you're a fashion blogger, or just simply enjoy retail therapy, you will need to use basic maths to work out how much that new dress is going to be when you take away e.g., 30% off the retail price. 

E.g.,

30% of £30 

What is 10% of £30= £3 

£3 x 3= £9 

£30-£9= £21 

4) You want to be the next Zoella? 

For many, writing an online fashion blog can start as a fun hobby that can actually lead into a full-time job, and profession. But, even though blogging is all about freedom of speech and the blogger's own interpretation of the season's hottest trends, most bloggers plan their time and their posts regularly, managing their time, and resources. Some fashion bloggers will search the high street to find the look for less, therefore using their money effectively as well as saving their money accordingly. Many famous bloggers will be invited to PR events, and fashion shows, having to again use their time effectively to work events around their jobs/lives and plan the succeeding blog posts. Additionally, some bloggers may choose to monetise their blog, therefore having to use their skills as a writer to calculate money from advertisements, and work out how many views they'd have to have make a profit, and a name for themselves. 

5) Sell, sell, sell! 
So you've got the designers, the writers, the models, and the shops that provide a platform for the new ranges, but perhaps you want to be a customer assistant or personal shopper, helping customers find the best outfit for an occasion. In this specific job role, yes, you've guessed it, you'll have to use your maths skills! Most customer assistants will have to know what clothes will suit each customer's body shape, therefore working with clothes sizes, that work in generic 8,10,12 etc., and inches for male clothing. For those that work the tills, they'll have to be able to give correct change and apply discounts and percentages, therefore using their maths skills! 

So, there's our 5 ways that maths is applied in the fashion sphere. 
We hope you've enjoyed this post, and it's proved, or at least highlighted that if you want to be a fashion designer, journalist, or a customer assistant, you need maths to succeed! 

Don't forget to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and head back to this blog next Wednesday for a blog post just for you. 

100% feedback!

It's Wednesday, which means its time for a new Steam Powered Stories blog post!

Today we have exciting news to share with you. 

Over the past couple of months, we have not only been developing our services by considering how our workshops can be better and more effective for the pupils taking part, we have also asked pupils, parents, and employers to fill in evaluation forms so that we can analyse how others perceive us as an organisation, and more importantly, our services. 

After gathering and analysing the feedback received, we have had 100% positive feedback
and we would like to thank all pupils, parents, and employers that have supported us!

Below are ten comments from pupils that took part in the workshop that we administered in Builth Wells High School last month. 

1) "Makes me want to try harder" 

2) "People were nice. Quite fun" 

3) You are doing good in the world" 

4) "It was eye opening" 

5) "They made me realise how important it is" 

6) "A variety of jobs need maths" 

7) "Many more jobs use maths than I had expected e.g hairdressing!" 

8) "Very useful and informative people"

9) "Didn't realise how much maths was used in these jobs" 

10) "It is in more jobs than you think"

If you have taken part in our workshops, or perhaps we met on an event, feel free to fill in our contact form (on the left hand side of the blog) stating who you are and what you think of our services. Your opinion is greatly appreciated! 

We are still looking for employers for our events coming up in November. If you are an employer that would like to take part in a workshop that helps pupils see that maths is used in every job role, call Hayley today on 01685 872385

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook! 

It's time for an update!

Happy Wednesday!

Today, we thought we'd tell you what the Steam Powered Stories team have been doing recently, and what's happening for us next.

Developing our services

It was revealed this week that 3 in 4 employers in the UK believe that it is a risk to hire school leavers because pupils lack the skills they vitally need to succeed in the world of work.  To ensure that young adults gain their desired job, it has been suggested that work experience should be compulsory in all secondary schools and assessment data of all schools, colleges and universities should include employment data as well as exam results.

As you know Steam Powered Stories' aim is to change attitudes towards maths, and we have recently focused on developing our workshops to ensure our projects are up-to-date, exciting, and inspirational for the pupils that take part. Part of our development, has involved working even closer with employers in the local area to ensure that young adults  gain the experience that is not only extremely valuable, but is vital for school leavers being employed in the future. 

If you require information on our Employment Placement projects, feel free to call Hayley today on 01685 872385- remember, it's never too late to believe in yourself and your ability to get your dream job! 

(To read the full news article, click the link below-
 http://www.itv.com/news/2014-10-02/lack-of-skills-makes-hiring-young-people-a-risky-move/)

Our new address!

If you didn't know, we moved last month to a new office. 
Our new address is below just in case you need to contact us-  

22 Market Street

Dowlais 

Merthyr Tydfil 

CF48 3HL 

01685 723255

We need your help

If you follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook, you would know that we have two exciting projects coming up with local schools, Maesserdwyn Comprehensive School, Swansea, and Queen Elizabeth High School, Carmarthen. We have a numeracy workshop booked with Maesserdywn Comprehensive School on 03/11/2014, and a Dragons Den project that will take place on 07/11/2014 in Queen Elizabeth High School.

If you are an employer or business that would like to get involved in either of the projects above, feel free to phone us, tweet us, or simply message us on our Facebook page. 


Our 3rd newsletter is almost complete!

We've been so busy over the summer months, we thought it would be a great opportunity to create another newsletter to show you how we've been promoting this fantastic numeracy project. To sign up for our newsletter, simply fill in our contact form today and we'll send our newsletter directly to your email the moment it's complete!

You CAN do maths 
Finally, we thought we'd include 3 maths questions to put your maths skills to the test today! 

1) A banana costs 42p. A bottle of water costs £1.22. Work out the total cost. Give your answer in pounds. 

2) Work out 72 x 4 

3) Work out 1/3 of £14 


Thanks for reading :) 

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter, and like our Facebook page- and, remember to come back to our blog next Wednesday for another blog post. 

Hairdressers need maths too!

Last week we posted on how maths is used in football, and we hope we changed attitudes towards football as a sport and as a job that used maths. 

After analysing the feedback we gained from our previous workshop held in Builth Wells High School we not only discovered that 85 pupils thought that there was no application of maths in football, we also found out that 31 pupils believed that maths is irrelevant to being a successful hairdresser. 

To be a hairdresser, you will need basic maths skills to succeed. Whether it is cutting a client's hair to a specific style, or ensuring you can plan appointments and make a profit: MATHS IS NEEDED!

So, in continuation of our last post, below are 5 ways in which maths is used in hairdressing! 

1) Working 9-5

1)As discussed in the introduction, one aspect of being a hairdresser is planning appointments. Ok, so this seems pretty simple, yet if you have a client that needs a basic trim, after a client that needs their hair coloured, cut, and styled, the hairdresser will have to use estimation to factor in how much time is needed to ensure they complete the hair appointment and begin the next.

2) Bad hair day!

2) Can you think of famous hairdressers? So they may have the amazing job of being a stylist to the likes of Rihanna, Cheryl Cole, even David Beckham, yet to ensure they please the client they need to know their stuff! Part of achieving the client's desired look will often involve using hair colour, which will require the stylist knowing what quantity of peroxide is needed to be mixed with tine or colouring cream, therefore using volumes and quantities. To ensure the hairdresser creates the correct colour, the stylist will need to use their maths skills e.g., 20g of peroxide + 20g of colouring cream. If the stylist cannot calculate in millilitres or grams correctly the results could be disastrous resulting in the hairdresser losing clients. 

3) It's all about making a profit 
Many hairdressers work as part of a team, yet if you have dreams of owning a mobile salon you will need to ensure that you can make a profit and maintain a successful business. If you work as a mobile hairdresser your estimation on making appointments will be crucial to you succeeding, you have to factor in travelling and styling time to ensure you meet every customer's needs. In addition to the factors mentioned above, mobile hairdressing tends to involve buying in bulk, ensuring you have the right amount of each product and that it is bought at a price that means the hairdresser will make a profit. As an independent business owner, the hairdresser will also need to ensure they pay taxes and keep track of their financial profits and losses, that's why therefore, currency and calculation correctly is vital. 

4) Chop chop! 
Many would argue that being a hairdresser is about picking up a scissors and removing the split ends, yet professional stylists know that to be successful in the industry you need to have basic knowledge of maths, specifically knowing angles and being able to cut the hair into specific styles. Stylists have to calculate 45 and 90 degree angles on a regular basis measuring from the client's head shape, making hairdressing a very technical job. Even in general, basic hairdressing, if a client requires a simple trim the stylist will need to be confident in using inches to cut the hair. 

5) Money, money, money £££ 
So you've completed a cut and colour and you need to be paid for your services. Many mobile hairdressers will take money from clients and will need to give change if needs be, therefore using their basic maths knowledge. Professional hair salons tend to have a receptionist who will need to take money, give change and calculate costs instantaneously. 

So, that's our top 5 examples of how maths is used in hairdressing. 

Thanks for reading! 
We hope this post has proved that numeracy is used in every profession. 

Maxine Day is an excellent hairdresser that has helped out on a few of our workshops, and we hope that through Maxine's involvement with the project and her dedication to demonstrate how maths is applied in her job, every pupil will be able to see how maths is used in hairdressing.

Did you know that maths is used in sport?

If you read our blog post that we posted on 11th September, you would know that we administered a Finance and Entrepreneurship Day in Builth Wells High School. 

During the event, we asked pupils to complete an evaluation form so we could gain an understanding of how the event went generally, if pupils wanted to do another Steam Powered Stories project, and fore mostly, if they thought that maths was used in every job role. Throughout the day, our aim was to prove to pupils that by working with various local employers- maths is used in every job. 

After recording and analysing our evaluation, we discovered that 85 pupils thought that maths was not used in football. We also found out that the majority of these pupils actually claimed they wanted to be footballers in the future, which raised alarm bells for us as an organisation that aims to improve standards of maths generally, and prove to the younger generation that maths is used in every job-  even in football! 

So for our blog post today, we thought it would be a good idea to show you 5 ways that maths is used in the sports industry, specifically in football. 

1) Taking corners 
Place yourself in a football match, you're running around, you have the ball, you're about to pass to another player, when the player on the opposite team tackles you and kicks the ball off the pitch- you have to take the corner. In this situation, there's angles involved, the footballer has to consider who is the best player to pass the ball to who would subsequently score for the team.

2) GOAL! 

Ok, so it's easy to say GOAL then actually score one, but for a football player, scoring for their team is vital to them moving up the ranks as a player, and their team moving up the league board and winning trophies. In the heat of the game, under pressure, and under time limits, the player will have perhaps only that once chance to score that goal. To score, the player must make on-the-spot calculations of angle, distance, and speed before attempting the goal, which if equalised correctly, will result in a goal. It's not only the players on the pitch that use maths, for the goalkeeper, maths is prevalent throughout the game and to the player's career. To the regular watcher, the goalkeeper stands in front of the net dodging from side to side to prevent the other team scoring. Yet if you look closer, to be a successful goalkeeper their physical build up is vital to them being chosen to play in the first place. A goalkeeper is generally tall, slim, fit, and fast on their feet so they can prevent goals from being scored. Maths is then applied in chances, the goalkeeper will estimate where the player is aiming to shoot, and then they will try to prevent the goal. 

3) It's in your build up! 
 Off the pitch, maths is even more prevalent! We have mentioned above how a goalkeeper's physicality is considered when they are chosen, yet when a team is looking for a new player generally, they would also consider the statistical model of the prospective player. The  footballer's height, weight, body measurements, how many times they can lift a certain weight, how much weight they can lift, how fast can the player can run etc., all these factors are considered before a player is chosen. 

4) You need to eat you're greens
Ok, so I bet you're fed up of hearing this, but to ensure that a footballer gets chosen for a team, each footballer will have to consider their daily food intake and how they exercise to ensure they are fit enough to play and succeed in the industry. The player will need to work out how many calories are in each item of food they're eating, and ensure they are eating enough protein etc., to ensure they are eating healthily and maintaining a good diet. Equally, after eating, the player will have to train their body to be strong and fit enough to maintain healthy on the pitch for 90 minutes. Considering how many weights they lift, how many reps they do of each exercise, the player will be using their maths skills, how fast they can run, which foot is their strongest- they are using maths! 

5) If you're the boss- you need good maths skills 
If you are managing a winning team, maths is used in your job every day, even if you didn't know it was. Firstly, a football manager will have to consider transfer costs to obtain the most skilled players. The manager will compare transfer costs to the footballer's statistics, to  other aspects such as- how skilled he is, how many goals he has scored the previous season, has he got any injuries, is he close to the age of retirement. By considering the above, and how much the player is worth to how much he is being sold for, the manager has a hard dilemma to consider. Liverpool FC actually use a system called Money Ball, a system that uses statistics to find value for each player.
Football managers also use maths to construct the most effective formats on the pitch. Whether they use the 4-4-2 format infamously used by Sir Alex Ferguson, or perhaps they decide to use a three man defensive system, the football manager would use maths skills effectively to consider the formation that will result in a win for his club. 

So, we hope this blog post has enlightened your beliefs on maths in football and sports generally- maths is literally exercised in every job, specifically in football. 

We are looking for footballers to get involved in future events to show pupils first hand that maths is used in their job. If you know any local sports clubs, or footballers that would love to get involved with our projects, either tweet us directly @SteamStories, connect with us on Facebook.com/SteamPoweredStories, or call Hayley on 01685 872385. 

Thanks for reading!