FUTURE TALENTED Autumn Term 2018 - Issue 1 | Page 31

EMPLOYABILITY
BARCLAYS LIFESKILLS
• 65 hours of free, curriculumlinked employability resources, designed to fit into secondary school timetables.
• Matched work experience placements for students aged 14-19 at Barclays and other UK businesses.
• Online tools and resources for young people to work through independently.
• Volunteers to run workshops in schools.
Register for free resources: barclayslifeskills. com

“ Careers doesn’ t need to be a separate curriculum subject”

›› them?”, drawing on the skills identified by the World Economic Forum, for consistency of message.
“ Teachers can choose what is most relevant for their pupils, download lesson plans and workshops, or request a Barclays volunteer to run workshops for them,” she says.“ That’ s all curriculum linked and free of charge. We also offer
work-experience matching for 14-19 year olds.
“ Careers doesn’ t need to be a separate curriculum subject,” she stresses.“ For example, you can weave problem-solving into maths and communication into English. The best way for children to understand is to highlight and talk about the skills within the classroom.”
ABOUT BARCLAYS LIFESKILLS LifeSkills, created with Barclays, helps young people get the skills and experiences they need to enter the world of work. barclayslifeskills. com
I didn’ t take that advice, instead speaking to the individual tutors and delivering workshops to their groups, creating a team of young people in my school to support me. We started seeing benefits and asked Barclays to deliver workshops.
As work experience wasn’ t available at school, we made our own programme, with activities to go out and see local businesses, and CV clinics with the local LifeSkills team.
I got a work experience placement at a Barclays branch in Bradford. It was the first time I’ d worked in a business; I’ d never had a part-time job, though I’ d always been entrepreneurial. But I wanted to get more involved in

“ I’ ve spoken at Wembley Arena at an event with Richard Branson in front of 12,000 people”
the LifeSkills programme itself to see how we could get more young people benefiting, so I got in touch with Kirstie Mackey and the team. It’ s a programme for young people, so that voice needs to be included.
I spent a week at Barclays’ HQ, meeting the people behind the programme, including the CEO, and suggested a Youth Advisory Council. Two years ago, we started recruiting young people from different backgrounds, who meet three times a year.
LifeSkills has helped shape me, my direction and my future career. I’ ve spoken at Wembley Arena at an event with Richard Branson in front of 12,000 people. I never thought I’ d study at Warwick
because everyone from my city went to a local university. I work part-time at Barclays in Coventry and, as a LifeSkills Champion, always promote the programme. We developed champions to share their experiences and become leaders of social change. The message hits harder when someone of a similar age and background tells their story.
I’ m keeping my career options open, but I like finance and supporting companies to reach young people in disadvantaged areas through CSR. I also have a few businesses of my own and want to complete a Master ' s in the next few years, and an MBA within the next 10. I’ d love to become the CEO of Barclays one day."
FUTURE TALENT // 31