Listening to young people
We want to know what young people think about issues like jobs, the future of money, financial education and how we communicate. This helps us understand the economy better.
That’s important because the work we do affects everyone in the UK. So we need to hear about the experiences of people of all ages and backgrounds.
The Bank of England’s youth engagement changed in 2023 to feature a series of Youth Panels held across the UK, where we hear from people between 16 and 19 years old. This helps us engage with young adults, who we have struggled to reach through other means in the past. By listening to them, we can gain insight on a range of issues, from the policies we make to how we should communicate with this age group.
By getting involved, young people can gain confidence and improve their communication skills by sharing their views and listening to those of others.
We met young people at St George’s Catholic School, Maida Vale (pictured below), Blackburn College and Darwen Aldridge Community Academy, Lancashire. They told us how they use money now and how they see money changing in the future.
At Brentwood Ursuline School and Beal High School, Ilford, we asked for students’ views on a selection of wildlife that will appear on the next series of banknotes as part of the UK wide consultation.
Most recently we met students from Coleg Menai, Bangor and Rugby High School to hear their experiences of the local labour market and thoughts of future job prospects.
Can you help us host a youth panel?
If your school or youth centre is interested in helping us host an event in your area, please email outreach@bankofengland.co.uk.
