Tell LifeSkills what you think of their LifeSkills videos – x2 £100 voucher to be won! NOW CLOSED

[MichelleMumsnet]

LifeSkills created with Barclays has asked us to find out what Mumsnetters (and their teenagers!) think of LifeSkills videos.

Here’s what LifeSkills say, “We launched LifeSkills last year to help young people to realise their ambitions and be successful in the future. These new videos, using real life case studies, are designed to highlight how important it is for young people to develop the skills they need for the world of work. We are very proud that so far the programme has helped over 718,258 young people to gain employability skills and more than 10,586 teachers are registered.”

Young people can use the LifeSkills website to complete a range of interactive resources, which are endorsed by City & Guilds, to learn everything from how to write a CV, interview skills and personal presentation through to matching their skills to a career. Additionally, the programme provides schools with a range of free, unbranded lesson plans, workshops and resources for teachers to help pupils aged 11 to 19 develop the skills employers most want. Teachers can then use LifeSkills to help match their pupils to local work experience opportunities”.

You can watch a series of LifeSkills videos below:

What impression do the videos give you of LifeSkills? Do you like the look of it, or not? If so, why? If not, why not? LifeSkills are keen to hear from different groups, so, if you have a teenager we’d love it if you could show a couple of the videos to them and ask them what they think of it. Is it something they’d be interested in? Likewise, LifeSkills are also keen to hear from teachers, so, if you’re a teacher let us know and tell us what you think. Whatever it is, we’d love to hear it!

There are two prizes to be won, x2 £100 Love2Shop voucher (note: these are not associated with Barclays or LifeSkills). One voucher will go to a Mumsnetter who gives their own feedback and one to a teacher who gives feedback. So, when you leave your comment let us know which group you’re giving feedback under and we’ll make sure you’re entered into the correct prize draw.

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!

MNHQ

[Maiyakat]

Mumsnetter

I like how the videos encourage young people to make the best of themselves, reminding them that they do have a lot to offer an employer, they just need to know how to present that. Think they get the message across effectively.

[ChantelD93]

As a younger person, I can relate to the life's kills videos, I particularly enjoyed the one about dressing appropriately for the field you're interviewing for.
I also however, agree the one about the stammer, is offensive to people of suffer with a stammer and discouraging to young adults with low self esteem, if tell them it's bad but doesn't do anything to help them.

[SoonToBeSix]

I think the videos are great, very helpful for young people.

[SoonToBeSix]

Mumsnetter ( I forgot to say in previous post) I think the videos are great, very helpful for young people.

[1ivewire]

(mumsnetter) I likes the videos, and think they address things that are hard to convey to young people, it explains them a lot better in video form!

[ineedausername]

Mumsnetter here.
I think they are really good. Insightful but neither talk down to young people or sound too stuff!

[insanityscratching]

Mumsnetter here. I thought they were really dumbed down and found it difficult to believe that they were really necessary tbh. I have 5 dc (4 of them young adults) and none of them would have needed instruction in such basic matters.
Dressing for an interview, using the correct vocabulary etc aren't these things taught in schools and colleges? Don't parents impart skills and knowledge their child might need before they strike out in the wide world?
It's a pretty sorry state of affairs if they are needed tbh but not sure if they are really. Can't think of any of my dc's many peers who would have needed them as they seemed to get a pretty good grounding from the schools and colleges round here anyway.

[marymanc]

Mumsnetter.

I liked the video and I think it is important for children to learn basic skills like how to make a good impression. I think this video would encourage young people to take part.

[TheHoneyBadger]

i've seen these on tv and been quite shocked at how condescending and racist a message they seem to display.

[HangingInAGruffaloStance]

Mumsnetter

I think aspects of these are a good idea. Many young people definitely do need guidance around what to wear to interview, for example. I meet young people who think they should wear their best trackie and trainers, because that's the most expensive outfit they own. If no one in your family works, how are you going to know? So that's a good idea.

My concern is that many young people who need help in this area have underlying speech language, communication and behaviour issues (research in NEET populations suggests vast majority do). Such young people aren't going to be able to generalise not saying "um" from a film. They need more targeted support. Also agree with earlier poster with concerns about stigmatising effect for people who stammer.

Perhaps Barclays would like to sponsor more specialist projects in high risk groups? Even just equipment funding? If so they can contact me for more advice!

[montiefletcher]

Liking the videos, however I really feel that these life skills should come with a combination from education and parents, teaching your children should be more gratifying than any video

[ILoveMyCaravan]

Mumsnetter.

Just watched all the videos. Am totally shocked at the 'Erm' video. My son has stammered since he started speaking at 18 months. He is now 13 and still stammers. He is confident, hard working and non of the things which the video said he would be perceived as being because he says 'erm' when he is stuck on a word.

He is home educated and is confident speaking to all sorts of people and has many of the skills which the other videos assumes he won't have at his age. Mainly because we have taught him those skills and he has picked them up from us during normal daily life.

In your earlier reply to another poster you implied that a stammer is a disability. Schools certainly don't recognise it as SEN or a disability.

My son already has a place at college (he was accepted a year early, after attending an interview - where he stammered constantly). He also has a part-time job in a shop, purely based on his ability to communicate well with other people, despite his stammer and him constantly saying 'Erm'. His vocabularly is excellent.

I'm not sure what age group your videos are aimed at, but my 13 year old would be insulted by them.

[paulkal]

I liked the videos, especially the body language ones. They said quite a lot about how people present themselves in an interview. Eye contact likewise gave some useful tips on how to create a good impression.

[MichelleMumsnet]

Thank you everyone for all of your posts. Congratulations to VickyRsuperstar and clopper who have both won the prize draw for a £100 Love2Shop voucher! We'll be in touch soon.