Employability skills research and trends

Impact of Barclays LifeSkills

We believe that everyone deserves the financial independence, security and opportunity that comes with a job. A vibrant, skilled workforce ensures that local communities and businesses can thrive.

To find out about the landscape to support people with skills, download our report Unlocking skills and employment opportunities.

Through our annual evaluation of Barclays LifeSkills we seek to assess the impact LifeSkills is having on participants, supporting people as the world of work continues to evolve rapidly.  

Our 2025 impact findings include insight from adult educators and teachers in schools and colleges.  They highlight the quality of LifeSkills resources, noting that teachers value the flexibility of LifeSkills resources to adapt to their learners’ needs and how easily they can be organised into a learning sequence.

From using the resources, teachers and senior leaders have seen a 95% improvement in their institution’s ability to develop students’ work readiness. Teacher knowledge and expertise in teaching employability, careers and money management skills improved to 91%.

“The resources on the website are of a high standard, free to access and relevant to several of our courses. The interactive activities on the website are engaging for students. For example, my students used the mock interview videos in preparation for their own mock interviews.”   Principal Teacher, secondary school, Scotland

“LifeSkills resources have served our curriculum purposes, around self-budgeting and understanding money skills; there are clear resources, with images, which are essential for students with SEND.”  Teacher, special school, London

The quote below comes from an outstanding primary school, a structured, sequenced and progressive financial education curriculum is taught from Reception all the way through to Year 6.  Delivery is via 45-minute, weekly lessons throughout the Easter term and is carefully pitched at the age, interests and understanding of children in each year group. The school takes a ‘spiral curriculum’ approach, with the students encountering similar topics covered in increasing depth each year.  

“Ofsted really liked what we were doing with the financial development and they even mentioned it in our report. They were really impressed with how it had been put into place. But it was made easy for me because of the lessons and sequencing that you had on your website.”   Assistant Headteacher, primary school, Midlands 

The programme positively impacts the young people it engages, with 97% of students reporting an improvement in knowledge and skills. 

“LifeSkills has helped me feel more prepared for the future. It taught me how to build a good CV, prepare for interviews, and understand how to manage my money better. I also learned a lot about teamwork and communication. It’s made me feel more confident about stepping into the world of work. I’m really grateful for the support and practical advice the programme has given me.”  Female, 15-16 years, FE college, South East England

These were the areas of greatest impact from an educator perspective around employability skills and money:

Employability skills: 

• Improved awareness of own strengths and skills (95%)
• Improved understanding of core transferable skills (95%)
• Improved understanding of what makes a good CV (93%)
• Feeling more positive about the future (92%)
• Understanding of how to tackle problems (88%)

Encouragingly, for 84% of young people who engaged with LifeSkills there was evidence of wide-ranging impact: they improved their knowledge and skills, as well as their confidence and motivation and they also took action to apply what they had learnt, e.g. by creating a CV, volunteering or applying for a job. 

“Using LifeSkills resources has had a significant impact on our learners. The programme offers engaging, well-structured content that supports the development of essential employability and financial skills. One benefit is improved student confidence when preparing for the workplace. For example, the CV writing and interview preparation modules have helped students articulate their strengths and understand employer expectations more clearly.  The flexibility of the LifeSkills programme means it can be tailored to different year groups and ability levels, making it easy to embed in careers sessions and group employability sessions.” Careers and training officer in a large FE college in the South East of England

“The quality of the LifeSkills resources are well-structured, easy to use and relevant to students’ real-life needs. The materials cover a wide range of essential topics like employability, financial literacy, and personal development, in a way that’s engaging and accessible. I also appreciate how the resources are regularly updated and tailored for different age groups, which makes them practical for use in a busy school setting.  Using LifeSkills resources has had a noticeable impact on students’ confidence, aspirations, and understanding of key life skills. For example, the interview skills and CV-writing modules have helped students prepare effectively for work experience placements, while the financial literacy sessions have prompted meaningful discussions about budgeting and saving. Students particularly benefit from the relatable video content and interactive activities, which help bring abstract concepts to life.  Teachers also appreciate how easy the programme is to embed into existing PSHE lessons, saving planning time while still delivering high-quality, outcomes-focused learning.’’   Senior subject lead for PSHE in a secondary school in London.

Money:

• Understanding how to keep track of their money e.g. budgeting (94%)
• Recognising the need for planning for the future and saving money (93%)
• Feeling confident about managing money (92%)

As a result of using LifeSkills 78% of young people who used LifeSkills took action to apply what they had learnt (e.g. reduced unnecessary spending and impulsive purchases, made a budget and had a greater understanding of the need for planning for the future and saving money), as well as improved their knowledge and skills and confidence around money.

“I've definitely noticed that teaching them about money has been a great way to get students engaged and involved in Maths, even if their maths skills aren't as high-level. Even if we've got some of our low-ability groups, it's giving them that forum, where they can have those discussions, where they can have that insight and learn a bit more. It’s interesting to them, and it's made them really enthusiastic about Maths. Even if they feel like, ‘Oh, I can't do it, it's hard’ because we're showing them that, a lot of what you need to know about money is just the four key maths operations, they find it easier to give it a go. Once they have mastered those four… it’s going to be important for them in real life. And they can hold on to that.”  Head of Maths, Secondary School

“Students felt more confident about money, and we had feedback on parents’ evening, where students had gone home and even advised their parents on budgeting.”  Head of department, secondary school, East Midlands

Being able to spend time with my students looking at budgeting and different types of APR and loans has allowed them to better plan for college and university.  Teacher, secondary school, South East England

“We start in reception and we do financial education up to year six. So, what I try and do is find resources that will hit each year band and will be progressive. And that's why LifeSkills has been quite successful for us really because it does all of that for us already.”  Assistant Headteacher, primary school, Midlands

This year, adults looking for work and those who have been out of work (e.g. due to their caring commitments or for health reasons), and 16-24 year olds not in employment or training were the three largest groups that adult educators worked with to support them in building skills.

The resources are easy to use and adapt for learners. I have used them in job clubs when looking at applications or careers advice, information and guidance.  Employment Advisor, education and training organisation, South West England

I like the LifeSkills resources for the quality and relevance of the content, how engaging and accessible the materials are for learners, and how well they align with essential life skills such as financial literacy, career planning, and personal development. The resources are easy to use for both educators and students, as well as inclusive and representative of diverse perspectives.   Education Mentor, education, training and skills provider, West Midlands

The LifeSkills CV builder has been extremely useful to my learners. Some of them found the process of CV writing overwhelming, and this resource really helped them. They ended up creating amazing CVs and have used them to secure places on Supported Internships.  Trainer, community interest company for young adults with SEND

Click here to find out more about the resources which can support your learners to develop the employability and financial capability skills to support their futures.

Source: Chrysalis Research Evaluation of LifeSkills 2025