Pupils ‘Let their Light Shine’ with Barclays LifeSkills

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• Healthy_Communities
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• Diversity and Inclusion

Eastbank Academy’s message to pupils is ‘let your light shine’. Through Barclays LifeSkills workshops the students have been empowered to shine brightly as they prepare for life after education, getting ready to enter the world of work for the first time.

Chantelle and her fellow pupils at Eastbank Academy, Glasgow, took part in a series of interactive LifeSkills workshops delivered by Barclays Charity Partner, Business in the Community (BITC). The workshops are tailored to the pupil’s needs and explore areas that would not normally be part of the school curriculum, equipping young people with core transferable skills such as networking, problem-solving, creativity, resilience and communication, as well as improving their CV writing, money management, interview skills and online reputation management.

I now know how to save money and present my CV and how to make it stand out. It has helped me learn new qualities and strengths about myself.

Chantelle, Barclays LifeSkills student.

“Eastbank Academy are one of our longest partners in the Barclays LifeSkills programme. The staff are hugely supportive of the programme and see the benefit of the wide range of workshops for their pupils. We work closely with Lee-Anne Developing Young Workforce (DYW) coordinator, to tailor sessions to year groups, giving the pupils support for a positive destination after secondary education,” said Heather Garratt, Barclays LifeSkills Programme Manager and Facilitator.

Developing key skills and confidence

During the workshops, pupils developed their employability skills and learned to recognise their personal strengths, gaining understanding about how these can apply to different areas of work. The pupils particularly enjoyed the sessions focused on money management and CV writing. Overall, the programme resulted in positive feedback from the pupils who reported that the workshops were both informative and engaging, allowing them to grow in both confidence and practical knowledge.

“I think the LifeSkills programme is really needed and should keep on going for younger generations as it really helped me with money matters, my CV and things we need to get a good job and have a good life,” said Chantelle.

An integral part of the learner journey

The positive response from pupils and staff has helped make Barclays LifeSkills workshops an integral part of the learner journey with programme manager Heather Garratt from BITC working closely with Eastbank to tailor the programme to pupils needs.

Pupils develop key skills through regular workshops

Teachers at Eastbank have been hugely impressed by the breadth of topics covered, it explores areas that would not normally be part of the school curriculum including creating more compelling CV’s and learning to save money. “Before I did the workshops, I didn’t know what a CV was, the workshops have now prepared me for doing my own.” Jack, Barclays LifeSkills pupil.

Through regular workshops, pupils can build up their personal skills, understand their values and develop their interests all while learning how these can be applied to different areas of work. S4 students have been talking about their experience of the workshops with Chantelle recognising the value of the classroom sessions, especially when it comes to money management “I liked learning about money management and how to save. That’s the one I liked the most as it’s something I really need these days.”

Barclays LifeSkills offer further support for Careers Week

Eastbank Academy also made the programme a part of their Career’s Week, with staff sharing key learnings and resources with students. “We use the LifeSkills resources during our Career Week and this greatly helps young people. They wouldn’t be able to create their CVs without these resources. Barclays LifeSkills resources have a big input into S4’s Career Week.” Lee-Anne, DYW coordinator.

“Without the help of the programme I wouldn’t know what to do for a CV but now everyone has a good understanding of what it is. I know what I’m doing now for the future and for getting a job.” adds Jack, Eastbank Academy staff also found the sessions useful for their continual professional development. “It is good for teachers to have expert input during the DYW classes. This supports them to be able to deliver teacher led activities between the workshops.” Lee-Anne, DYW coordinator.

Setting students up for a bright future

“Working with Barclay’s LifeSkills and BITC has helped us to improve young people’s life skills and align with our DYW agenda. The workshops set them up for their future, giving them an idea of what to expect when they leave secondary school,” said Lee-Anne, DYW coordinator.

Find out more about the impact of BITC’s work as a delivery partner of Barclays LifeSkills.

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