Basic life skills necessary for children

For many school children the concept of budgeting, debt management or preparing for a formal job interview is a difficult one at the very least.

Parents are usually the first port of call to teach these life lessons however not all are properly equipped to do so. The situation is further exacerbated as schools do not have the right capacity to teach these life skills in their curriculum.

This leaves many students graduating without knowing how to balance a chequebook, save for their future or even complete a car registration and insurance – all important skills as they prepare to enter adult life.

“The demand on schools and what teachers are expected to teach is so great these days that we cannot presume them to have the knowledge or time,” said Howard Smith, Director of The Business Concierge (photo).

The Business Concierge is an organisation that aims to educate students in basic life skills. In order to do so, Smith has created seminars which cover over 60 different subjects ranging from banking, credit cards, managing stress, renting a first home, preparing for a job interview and so on. Schools then select which subjects to be presented and each school will have an individually tailored program.

In 2013, Smith has personally visited 192 primary and high schools and has presented his life skills seminars to over 19,000 Year 5 to Year 12 students.

“We teach students essential life skills, and instil in them the knowledge needed in order to make informed and educated decisions regarding everything from finance to employment. [These are skills] that are necessary for all Australians, regardless of age, gender, race or socio-economic status,” said Smith.

For the past two years, Canterbury League Club has been supporting the efforts of The Business Concierge. Their $10,000 donation has seen the program brought to 15 different schools in the Canterbury local government area and has reached 2117 students. The Club has recently donated another $10,000 to help continue the program in other schools within the area.

“It is worrisome to think that future generations have limited experience and are unprepared for what life sends their way. Programs like this ensure they have the best start to their adult lives and hopefully minimise confusion and uncertainty,” said Dr George Peponis OAM, Chairman of Canterbury League Club.