I believe one of the most important things we can do for the next generation is help young people see the opportunities open to them and give them the confidence and skills to take that first step.
That feels particularly important today. Too many young people remain out of employment, education and training, while the world of work is evolving rapidly and the skills businesses need are changing with it.
At NatWest Group, supporting young people is already an important part of what we do. We help millions of young customers across the UK with their everyday banking needs, and 97% stay
with us as they move into adulthood. That means we’re often part of their lives at a time when they’re beginning to think about their future and what comes next.
But I think we can play a bigger role than that. As a large employer with deep roots in communities across the country, we have an opportunity to go beyond our traditional role.
Building on strong partnerships
Of course, no one organisation can do this alone. Supporting people into work requires collaboration between businesses, governments, educators, local authorities and community organisations.
We all bring something different. By combining that knowledge, experience and reach, we can make the connections between education, skills and the world of work much clearer for young people.
We’re already putting this approach into practice. As an early signatory to the Financial Services Skills Compact, we’re working alongside the industry to help close skills gaps and equip young people with future-ready skills. And, through our partnership with the National Youth Agency, we’re also helping young people build confidence and develop skills, while supporting the wider youth sector.
It’s that same spirit of working together that sits at the heart of our new NatWest Youth Offer.
Over the next two years, our ambition is to help more than 10,000 young people take their next step towards employment, training or entrepreneurship within the communities they live. We’ll work with local authorities and other partners to tailor support to local priorities, bringing together financial and future-skills education, work experience, T Level placements, early careers opportunities and entrepreneurship support.
For me, the focus on place really matters. Young people should be able to see opportunities around them, wherever they live. By combining NatWest’s national scale, business relationships and community reach with local knowledge and networks, we can connect young people with practical opportunities that reflect their aspirations and needs with those of their communities.
Connecting the journey
We already support young people, from helping to them to build financial confidence and future skills to offering apprenticeships, internships and graduate opportunities. Our national accelerator programme also helps people of all ages who are passionate about setting up their own business and becoming an entrepreneur.
What I want our Youth Offer to do is make those connections much clearer. Rather than young people having to navigate a series of separate programmes, we want it to be easier for them to see where one opportunity could lead next, whether that’s into employment, further training or starting a business.
Education - Building financial confidence and future skills
Through NatWest Thrive, we reach more than one million young people across the UK, with lessons spanning money management, entrepreneurship, careers and future career paths. Designed in partnership with young people and shaped by youth-work principles, Thrive uses practical experiences, trusted relationships and relatable role models to help young people build the confidence, knowledge and self-belief to make positive choices about money and their future.
Through this Youth Offer, we want to build on that and reach young people who may face greater barriers to opportunity, working with local authorities and partners to identify additional schools and youth clubs in underserved communities.
Employment and experience – Opening pathways into work
We want to expand access to meaningful work experience and T Level placements, alongside our continued investment in apprenticeships, internships and graduate programmes. And this is where I think NatWest has something distinctive to offer. As the UK's biggest business bank, our relationships reach far beyond our own organisation. We can use those connections to open more doors for young people, giving them experience of different workplaces, sectors and career opportunities in their own communities.
Entrepreneurship – Supporting Young Founders
And for some young people, their ambition will be to create an opportunity for themselves by building a business of their own. Our new Young Founders Community will provide specialist support through NatWest's Accelerator network, including mentoring, connections with other entrepreneurs and learning opportunities to help them develop their ideas and grow.
Creating Opportunities together
At its heart, this is about bringing people together around young people and their potential. Governments and local authorities understand the priorities of their communities. Educators and community organisations work directly with young people. Businesses understand the skills they need now and in the future, and can provide meaningful experience and employment opportunities to those looking to get their feet on the career ladder.
Each can make a difference individually. I believe we can make a much bigger difference when we join those strengths together. Our ambition isn’t simply to create more individual programmes but to connect financial confidence and skills with real experience, employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.
Ultimately, I want more young people to feel that opportunity is within their reach, and that wherever they start from, there is a next step they can take. If we can help make that happen, we can support more young people to fulfil their potential, while helping to build the skills and talent that businesses and communities will need in the future.
