SUFFOLK employers are being urged to fight back today by supporting their staff to gain skills in basic maths, in a bid to help businesses to ride the economic downturn.

SUFFOLK employers are being urged to fight back today by supporting their staff to gain skills in basic maths, in a bid to help businesses to ride the economic downturn.

And Suffolk County Council - the largest employer in the county - is leading the way.

A spokesman for the council said: “Government figures suggest that lack of basic skills, including numeracy, in the workforce can contribute to poor business performance; firms of 51 to 100 employees could lose �86,000 per year and firms of 1,000 or more employees could lose as much as �500,000 per year.

“Free numeracy training, funded by the Learning and Skills Council, is available to help employees in the county who may have missed out on a GCSE pass at school.”

During Adult Learners' week, and throughout the Year of Skills and Learning businesses and individuals in Suffolk can take up the offer of free courses at levels to suit their needs.

To find out about courses and support in Suffolk contact:

0845 602 0857 - For courses in Bury St Edumunds, Brandon, Haverhill, Mildenhall, Newmarket and Stowmarket.

0845 603 7284 - Beccles, Bungay, Debenham, Eye, Framlingham, Leiston, Lowestoft, Saxmundham, Stradbroke and Woodbridge

0845 603 7197 - Ipswich, Felixstowe, Great Cornard, Hadleigh, Sudbury

Advice is also available to employers by contacting Train to Gain on 0845 600 9 006 or call Suffolk Chamber's Training Advice Point on 01473 694 810.