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What is Barclays LifeSkills?

In 2013 Barclays launched LifeSkills, which has led the way as the UK’s largest employability programme, with the aim of helping to tackle youth unemployment and inspiring and helping millions of young people to transition from education to work. For ten years LifeSkills has been giving millions of people the core, transferable skills, knowledge, confidence and connections they need to get into or progress in work.

Family Action and Barclays are working in partnership to help families and individuals overcome their challenges and build their confidence and employability skills for a brighter future. Family Action will deliver Barclays LifeSkills sessions and resources to families, to build the knowledge, core transferable skills, and confidence they need to get into or progress in work. Learning Support Grants will be distributed across the UK to provide financial support to parents and carers that want to begin or continue in education or training to increase their employability prospects. For more information, visit: www.barclayslifeskills.com  

LifeSkills Open

This programme will offer groups of families the chance to come together to a trusted venue such as children’s centre or community setting. As well as offering opportunities for families to spend quality time together and have access to healthy food, these sessions will offer LifeSkills workshops for parents and carers to build their confidence, social networks, financial and employability skills. Examples include but are not limited to overcoming setbacks, managing debt, boosting confidence to return to work, CV writing, interview skills.

The aims of the LifeSkills programme are to support participants to increase their confidence and 21st century skills, move closer to training/volunteering/employment, improve their social networks, and grow their confidence to provide low cost and nutritious meals.

  • Find out where LifeSkills programmes are taking place in your area by emailing [email protected]
  • If your organisation is based in England, Wales or the Isle of Man and is interested in receiving a grant and support to deliver LifeSkills in your setting, please email [email protected]
  • Read Jo’s story to find out how the programme has helped them develop skills such as budgeting and cooking.

LifeSkills Plus (Stockton, Birmingham, London)

This programme will support people who have more complex needs through one-to-one support. This is likely to include up to four months of support for those further away from employment, supporting them to access a training course, an intervention, paid work, or a volunteer opportunity. Longer term support for up to a year will be offered to those furthest away from employment.

The aims of the programme are to support individuals to improve their confidence in recognising their strengths and abilities, grow their social networks and community engagement, raise awareness of where to seek information and support for learning and work, have a positive impact on their wider family, move closer to training, volunteering or employment, improve their budgeting skills, and so on.

  • If you live in one of the areas above and would like to find out how you could receive support, please phone 07977 635868 or email [email protected]
  • If you are a professional working with someone you think could benefit from our service please phone 07977 635868 or email [email protected]

You can find our compliments and complaints form on the Contact Us page.