Help your child build the skills employers need as AI transforms work
As a parent or carer, you want your child to feel confident about their future – especially in a world where technology is changing fast.
That’s why Barclays LifeSkills, has created a new and exciting national competition designed to help young people build the skills they need to succeed.
Your child can take part through their school, college, university or youth group, with educators able to build it into lessons, lectures or enrichment activities.
Open to young people aged 11–25, the competition challenges them to tackle a real-world problem. Along the way, they’ll learn how to use AI responsibly, alongside their uniquely human skills, to develop a solution they can be proud of.
Why it matters
The world of work is changing quickly. While AI is opening up new opportunities, employers are increasingly looking for human skills that technology can’t replace, including:
- Critical thinking
- Creativity
- Communication
- Adaptability
- Ethical reasoning
Competitions like this give young people the chance to practise these skills in a practical, engaging way – helping them:
- Build confidence
- Develop future-ready skills
- Explore exciting career pathways
If this sounds like something your child would enjoy, you could:
- Talk to their school, college, university or youth group about getting involved
- Encourage them to register for the competition
- Share this opportunity with other parents or carers for them to reach out to those organisations
Sometimes, all it takes is one conversation to help more young people take part.
If you’d like to contact a school or youth group, here’s some wording you can use. Good luck if your child gets a chance to participate.
Template email, message:
I wanted to let you know about a new national skills competition to help upskill young people in your community.
Barclays LifeSkills, is launching Accelerate your skills – a new and exciting national competition designed to help young people build the skills employers need as AI transforms work.
The competition is designed to equip young people aged 11-25 with how to use AI responsibly, alongside their uniquely human skills by tackling a real-world challenge.
To take part, as an educator within your [school/college/university/youth group], simply head to the LifeSkills website and register for the competition using this link:
https://barclayslifeskills.com/Accelerate-your-skills-competition.
There, you’ll find more details about the competition, access to the competition toolkit, and free resources you can build into your [lessons/lectures/enrichment activities] to inspire young people and open doors to unique experiences. Submissions will be open from September to December.
It would be fantastic for your students to take part and benefit from this opportunity.
