EMPLOYABILITY
Part-time jobs: a generational perspective
71
69
66
53
50
Gen Z
(aged 14-21)
Millennials
(aged 22-37)
Gen X
(aged 38-58)
Baby boomers
(aged 59-76)
Older generation
(aged 77+)
flexibility and 30% say their skills are better suited to
earning money this way. Meanwhile, a fifth (21%) say they
choose to work online because there is a shortage of
traditional jobs in their area, and a further 19% say it allows
them to be more entrepreneurial.
Head of LifeSkills Kirstie Mackie praises this growing
spirit of innovation. “It’s really encouraging to learn that
so many young people are finding new routes, other
than traditional part-time work, to boost their experience,
skills development and earnings while being able to plan
their hours around their studying,” she says.
“The nature of part-time jobs may have changed from
30 or 40 years ago, but they remain a crucial way for
young people to strike out on their own and gain the
valuable skills and experience they will need for the rest
of their working lives.”
And while Baroness Brady admits that “finding a job
alongside school or college isn’t as simple as it was in
the past” she adds that “the opportunities out there are
evolving quickly.
“I recommend that every young person thinks about
taking on work while still studying; whether it’s cashing
up in a shop or selling your creations online, the
experience will have valuable things to teach you,”
she pledges.
Have (or had) a part-time job/project
ABOUT BARCLAYS LIFESKILLS
The LifeSkills programme inspires and supports 11- to 24-year olds by providing them with
key employability skills to help them succeed in the world of work. The pogramme brings
togther educators, businesses, young people and parents. barclayslifeskills.com
myself. I’ve also acquired skills
relevant for business, about winning
customers and retaining them. I am
going to train to be a teacher when
I graduate.
What are the main challenges
you have faced while combining
studying with working?
Income is largely uncertain, and
lessons may be cancelled up to the
last minute. But, overall, I think
it’s worth it.
You learn to be resilient, and
communicate your own policies that
you have to customers regarding
cancellation. This business acumen
should be supported by platforms,
such as this one, in order to remove
any barriers.
How has the LifeSkills programme
helped prepare you for work?
I’ve been a member of the LifeSkills
Youth Advisory Council; my term has
just finished. I found contributing to
the development of the programme
hugely rewarding and insightful. For
example, I was involved in the
content creation for the module on
‘21st Century Skills’.
T h e wo r k p l a c e i s ra p i d l y
changing, and the classroom is not
always equipped to respond to
these changes; nor is it always the
most appropriate place to deliver
them in the first place.
I find LifeSkills a refreshing
way to home in on 21st-century skills,
and equip myself for the world
of work.
What would you say to other young
people weighing up the pros and cons
of working for online ventures
while learning?
Give it a go! There’s no harm. It’s
enjoyable, because you can be
creative, and you are virtually your
own boss.
Your hard work, and the creativity
that you put into your venture,
will all pay off when you see
customers coming.
You are even able to raise your
prices if you feel that you can
maintain your custom. Overall, it’s a
rewarding and exciting adventure.
FUTURE TALENTED // 23