What barclays life skills programme does

Barclays LifeSkills is a free employability and financial education programme operated by Barclays Bank UK PLC since 2013. It delivers online digital content covering CV building, interview preparation, career planning, financial literacy, and virtual work experience to learners from age 5 through adulthood, alongside curriculum-linked lesson plans for educators. The programme is accessed directly by learners aged 14+, through educators in schools and colleges, via 13+ specialist charity partners serving under-represented communities, through Job Centre referrals, and through family home-learning resources.

The core technology stack is a single digital platform offering 150+ hours of curriculum-linked lessons, an interactive Wheel of Strengths personality-to-career mapping tool, a CV Builder, and Virtual Work Experience delivered via the Springpod platform. Products span three primary surfaces: Lessons (for educators), Modules for Adult Learning (for charities and frontline workers), and Activities for Families (home learning), complemented by the standalone interactive tools. The programme claims registrations from over 90% of UK secondary schools and 153,000 educators, with reported outcomes including 89% of young people improving awareness of their strengths, 5,000+ adults securing employment, and 73% of users reporting financial tips helped them save money.

The business model is corporate social responsibility-based rather than commercially monetised — the programme is entirely free to all users and funded directly by Barclays Bank UK PLC from its CSR budget. There are no pricing tiers, no monetisation from participants, and no disclosed commercial revenue. Distribution relies on self-service website registration, institutional educator adoption, and a charity partner network covering cohorts such as care-experienced young people, the homeless, and women in need. A 2024 product launch, the 'Accelerate Your Skills' national competition for ages 11-25, extends the programme into AI-skills content. The programme is staffed by approximately 8 dedicated employees and operates exclusively within the United Kingdom.

Name

barclays life skills programme

Legal name

Barclays Bank UK PLC

Website

https://barclayslifeskills.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Barclays LifeSkills is a free, non-commercial employability and financial education programme run by Barclays Bank UK PLC since 2013, serving UK learners aged 5+, 153,000 educators, and 90%+ of secondary schools through a digital platform and a 13+ charity partner network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Employability and Financial Education

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Personal Finance & Financial Literacy for Students (EDAMAIAH)

Keywords

• Employability education
• Financial literacy training
• Curriculum-linked lessons
• Careers education
• Youth employment skills

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Free Programme (CSR): Barclays LifeSkills is a free employability and financial education programme operated as a corporate social responsibility initiative by Barclays Bank UK PLC. The programme is not monetised from participants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Barclays Life Skills Programme is a free employability and financial education initiative that provides over 150 hours of curriculum-linked lessons, digital tools (CV Builder, Wheel of Strengths), Virtual Work Experience placements, and structured modules targeting young people, adult learners, job seekers, families, and educators. The programme is operated as a corporate social responsibility initiative by Barclays Bank UK PLC and delivered through schools, youth organisations, charity partners, job centres, and direct online access.

Product overview

Barclays LifeSkills is a free employability and financial education programme providing a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering consists of Lessons (150+ hours of curriculum-linked content for ages 5+), Modules for Adult Learning, and Family Activities. These are complemented by interactive tools including the CV Builder, Wheel of Strengths, and Virtual Work Experience platform. A new Accelerate Your Skills competition targets young people aged 11-25 for AI and skills development. The programme is accessed through educators, organisations, families, or directly by individuals, with specialist charity partners providing tailored support in under-represented communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Curriculum-Linked Lessons
• Adult Learning Modules
• Family Activities
• CV Builder
• Wheel of Strengths
• Virtual Work Experience
• LifeSkills Award
• Accelerate Your Skills Competition

Quantifiable outcome

• 89% of young people improved awareness of their own strengths and skills
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Prince's Responsible Business NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting young people, young adults and families to thrive through responsible business initiatives.
• catch22coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity partner providing tailored employability support to young people facing barriers, including those who are homeless or have left prison.
• Family ActioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity partner delivering family support programmes including Learning Support Grants and LifeSkills sessions, with 80% of participants reporting increased confidence and skills.
• GenerationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational charity partner focused on youth employment and skills training.
• Jersey Employment TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity partner providing employment support services in Jersey.
• National NumeracyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner focused on improving numeracy skills across the UK population.
• St Christopher'sminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity partner supporting care-experienced young people with employability skills.
• Smallwood TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity partner providing support to women in need.
• Springboard CharitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity partner providing careers education and hospitality industry pathways.
• STREET LEAGUEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity partner using sport to help young people into education, training and employment.
• Teach FirstminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation charity partner focused on educational leadership and reducing inequality in schools.
• The Talent FoundryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity partner focused on helping young people discover and develop their talents.
• The Trussell TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity partner supporting people in poverty through food banks and emergency support, with LifeSkills providing employability pathways.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Teach First: UK education charity tackling educational inequality through teacher training and leadership development. Overlaps with LifeSkills' educator engagement mission and is a listed LifeSkills partner, but focuses primarily on teacher development rather than direct learner employability content.

Direct peers

• Generation UK: Global youth employment charity offering free, employer-aligned skills training and job placement programmes. A current LifeSkills charity partner with overlapping mission on employability for under-represented groups; comparable curriculum-to-career model.
• Catch22: UK social business delivering employability, education, and justice services for disadvantaged young people and adults. A core LifeSkills charity partner; comparable in serving under-represented communities through employability pathways.
• The Prince's Trust: The Prince's Trust is the UK's leading youth employability charity, supporting 11–30 year-olds from disadvantaged backgrounds into education, training, and work. Directly comparable to Barclays LifeSkills' youth employability mission and overlaps on charity partner activity (Prince's Responsible Business Network is a LifeSkills partner).
• Young Enterprise: UK charity delivering enterprise and financial education programmes into schools and colleges, covering employability, money management, and business skills. Closely comparable to LifeSkills' curriculum-linked lessons for ages 5+ and competes for the same educator channel.
• National Careers Service: UK government-funded service providing free careers information, advice, and guidance to adults and young people. Directly comparable to LifeSkills' adult learner employability support and serves the same Job Centre Plus referral pathway.
• Speakers for Schools: UK charity providing free, high-quality work experience and insights talks to state school students, directly competing with LifeSkills' Virtual Work Experience offering. Targets the same secondary school and FE college audience through educator-led distribution.
• Family Action: UK family support charity delivering parenting programmes, financial capability training, and Learning Support Grants. A core LifeSkills partner; comparable adult and family financial capability and employability support.
• Money and Pensions Service (MaPS): UK government-backed body responsible for financial capability and debt advice, providing free financial education resources across age groups. Directly overlaps with LifeSkills' 'Get better with money' financial literacy content and shares the UK schools distribution channel.
• MyKindaFuture: UK employability platform connecting students with employers via virtual work experience, internships, and skills programmes. Directly comparable to LifeSkills' Virtual Work Experience offering and competes for the same UK schools and FE college audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/barclays-life-skills-programme

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about barclays life skills programme