The National LIfe-Skills Academy exists to 'Guide Your Way', with a wide range of necessary adult life-skill podcasts and online discussions, to widen your choices.
The National LIfe-Skills Academy exists to 'Guide Your Way', with a wide range of necessary adult life-skill podcasts and online discussions, to widen your choices.
3D printing is the construction of three-dimensional objects, guided by a computer. It can be utilised in a variety of different sectors of society, and can help us to create a smarter, more effici...
Action learning is a type of learning that encourages and focuses on learning-by-doing, and evaluating the results afterwards. It’s a very effective way of learning, as it promotes many desired att...
We listen for a variety of reasons. We listen to learn at school and college, we listen to gain information and insight from people and work, and we listen for pleasure with music and the arts. Act...
Addictions are all about a need or a desire to possess objects, engage in activities and take certain substances regularly, probably on a daily basis without fail, the word itself is of Latin origi...
Affirmations can be used at any time really, there is no right or wrong place to use them, after all, they’re only positive statements. However, if you want affirmations to help you when you need t...
Anger is one of the most widely studied, and one most common emotions shown on a day-to-day basis alongside happiness, sadness, disgust and fear. Learn more about handling your own and the irritati...
Artificial Intelligence, more commonly referred to as ‘AI’., is intelligence that is shown through machines and robotics, as opposed to natural intelligence that humans and animals share. AI is be...
Throughout our lives, many of us will try to be independent, however, it’s much easier said than done. There are going to be times in your life when you’re going to need help, and it’s important to...
We have now reached the point where automatic self-driving transport becomes a reality for you in your life-times, and sooner rather than later. What used to be something that only science-fiction...
The future of work during your lifetime is all about the need to be flexible and agile. We hear it more and more being used in the work environment flexible and agile working. Again it means be...
Being yourself isn’t always easy. A lot of people hide their true personalities away for a variety of reasons, but is that a good thing?
As the name might suggest, biotech is the combination of biology and technology. It has been vastly used and improved over the past 100 years since the term was first coined by the Hungarian engin...
Bullying is the act of picking on a victim for any reason that the bully sees fit, it can be physical, mental or emotional. Bullying is having a painfully obvious negative effect on society and so...
Circadian Rhythms are 24-hour cycles that follow our changes in our physical, mental or behavioural routine. They are natural processes that are influenced by our surroundings, and can be observed...
The best way to visualise your Circle of Influence is to draw a circle in which you write every action that you can think of to influence. for example, global warming, such as 'recycling'. Now dr...
An argument that many climate deniers use is that the climate has always changed throughout the Earth’s history and therefore we shouldn’t worry about it because ‘it will sort itself out’. At a v...
It’s important to understand what makes counsellors and coaches different in order to best suit you, should you need them. Whilst counselling is more about dealing with mental and emotional issues...
Collaboration is the process of working together with another person or persons in order to achieve something. This could be working together on a project for work or school, perhaps you’re trying...
Conflict, is where two opposing factors meet head on, for example, disagreeing, maybe arguing, with someone, and resolution is the solution behind the conflict in order to prevent it from happening...
When you think about it, the word ‘Feedback’ focuses solely on actions and tasks taken in the past. It focuses on events that have gone by, and cannot be changed. This is where Feed Forward comes...
There are many different ways to solve a problem- different problems require different solutions, so it’s not really that much of a surprise. One of the ways in which we can solve said problems, is...
Coping is all about effectively dealing with, and managing stressful situations. Of course, we’re all different and so the way in which we cope with these things are going to be different, however...
Across the UK, there are many different councils. The way that our government works, is that we have a structured local government, however, this varies from location to location. Council tax is a...
Essentially, critical thinking is when we analyse facts and figures in order to form considered and sensible judgement and opinions. Each and every day we receive new information about a plethora...
Cryptocurrency is the growing market of online currency. To most of us used to traditional financial processes, it can be confusing, and even those involved can struggle to make sense of it. Here w...
Big Data - The first in a series of Cybersecurity introduction podcasts. The new economies of data stem from the value, that your personal data can be sold for, the trail you leave behind you wher...
Cybersecurity 2, Automated Attacks: Now, you will learn about social engineering attacks in which attackers try to steal your data. In this step, you will be introduced to Phishing, Pharming, Nam...
Interactive Attacks: Whereas the examples in the previous talk were about using computers as a delivery mechanism for malware programmes and emails that spread viruses, here we are turning our atte...
Effective protection: We carry with us a phone, which connect automatically to the Internet, the Web and with it, all of its inherent global opportunities for misuse. Your safety is secure as lon...
Cybersecurity encompasses everything around the protection and privatisation of essential documents and information against digital attacks. With the world becoming increasingly more developed and...
Resilience is really all about decision-making. It is the ability to bounce back from setbacks and disappointment. It is used in all walks of life and in every profession. Resilience helps you g...
It’s never nice to be in a situation that’s unpleasant. We all have a natural desire to avoid such occasions, but unfortunately, there are times when we have to tough it out. We’ll all have argume...
There are many different ways in which we can study, some of which will be more beneficial for us than others, but there are always dos and don'ts when it comes to studying. The difference between...
Time is money is said to emphasize the point that time is precious, and shouldn’t be wasted. It’s also the perfect saying to highlight, and think about when we talk about the elevator pitch. The e...
There are seven billion people in this world. You’re never going to get along and like everyone, but that doesn’t mean you have to be, or to show yourself to be ignorant and disrespectful. Empathy...
Empowerment and entitlement are often seen as two different factors of success. The main difference between these factors is how they are achieved. People can sometimes confuse these terms as the...
If you’ve ever wondered how some people manage to get so much done in a day, it often comes down to the way they use their time. It’s no surprise that the people who can manage their time effective...
If you’ve had a really good idea for a business, there’s a good chance someone’s already thought of it; this shouldn’t discourage you tough, because thinking of something doesn’t make it a reality,...
In life, not everything always goes according to plan, and sometimes the choices that are left to us aren’t desirable and the best decision isn’t always available to us. This is what an ethical dil...
You may have heard these words, explicit and implicit, before, but not understood what they mean. Whilst they are on different sides of the communication line, they share one thing in common, and t...
Feeling guilty isn’t nice to experience, and it can be painful when we do, but it’s natural. Whilst many people might think that experiencing this feeling is the sign of a bad person, it’s actuall...
The film industry isn’t like most industries. One of the unique things about the film industry is that there is no real set way to get in. If you wanted to become a lawyer for example, there’s a cl...
With life being as unpredictable as it is, becoming ever more complicated and chaotic, the skills of focus and self-control have never been more needed. Self-control is the ability to control emot...
Everyone is entitled to their own thoughts and opinions, at least in the G8 countries. After all, we all share the world so everyone should be able to say how they feel. In most countries this is w...
Essentially, generosity is a helping hand of the biggest kind. Generosity and the science behind why you should be more generous towards your peers and towards strangers, can help you live a bette...
On average, you’re asleep for a third of your life. We understand why keeping fit and healthy is good for us when we’re awake, but sleep is just as important. Most importantly, sleep repairs you....
We can feel better from both giving and receiving compliments, they can actually improve our day-to-day lives in more ways than you might imagine. It's useful to know how to deal with compliments,...
The world is filled with different cultures, races, religions, creeds. It’s a melting pot of individuality, and that’s what makes it so interesting. We can learn from one another, and grow togethe...
It is estimated that around 60% of the global population now own a phone a smartphone, approximately 4.6 billion. There are many benefits to global networking as it allows us to share information i...
We’ve spoken before about the importance of goals, and how they keep us motivated and moving forward within our life. But how do you set goals up? Each of us will have different things that we wan...
Happiness and fulfilment are very common traits that share a lot of similarities. Happiness comes from something that we do. Fulfilment is the reason behind that happiness. We are often at our hap...
Whilst it’s all very well and good eating healthy, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, it can sometimes be difficult to understand whether or not what you’re putting into your body is having any a...
Money makes the world round, but who controls it? Who decides where it goes, and what causes it goes to? There has to be someone, or something that keeps it all in check, otherwise money would be...
Let’s assume that you’re job-hunting, and you’ve just found the perfect job. It’s suited to your schedule, your skill-sets and your future ambitions - there’s just one problem, many other people ha...
Good leaders are able to achieve positive change. A leader’s roles and responsibilities often involve managing a team to reach a strategic goal. When you’re leading it helps to have a certain set...
Letting things go can be difficult, especially when those things are very close to your heart. But ultimately, holding onto past traumas and bad experiences only affects one person - You.
Thanks to technology, we have become ever more connected with people worldwide. LinkedIn is an employment-oriented service designed specifically to help you find the best network and jobs availabl...
Whilst often categorised together, loneliness and isolation are two separate concepts. Loneliness is the concept of being by one’s self, and lacking company, which can in turn increase our sadness...
Meningitis can infect anyone, it's most commonly found in younger people, from babies, infants, to young adults. If left untreated it can potentially cause septicaemia, a condition where bacteria...
With increasing awareness and knowledge becoming more wide-spread about the effects of mental illness, the causes etc., we as a society have become more aware of it, and as a result are able to spo...
Mindfulness is a fairly simple concept. It is the idea that we are fully present, in the moment, aware of what we’re doing and why we’re doing it, as well as staying calm and not getting overwhelme...
A mood swing is a phenomenon where our mood and temperament rapidly change. Have you ever had the experience of feeling happy, then down to feeling unbelievably sad? From feeling contented, to int...
In school, academic students may have been put on a pedestal of intelligence, and seen as the ideal student. However, whilst being academically intelligent is a good thing, other intelligences are...
Nanotechnology is the design, characterization, production and application of structures, devices and systems by controlling shape and size at nanometre scale. A nano being one billionth of a mete...
The National Health Service is a ‘free’, nationwide healthcare system that’s one of four healthcare systems in the UK, and is more commonly known as the NHS. The NHS is publicly funded. This means...
Opinions, points of view and perspectives are all ways in which we see the world differently. It is in these differences where negotiation, and the act of negotiating comes in handy. A negotiati...
Aggression is an emotion that we can feel through negative experiences. We can react badly to something, and the dominant emotion that comes over us, is that of aggression, but it isn’t always dire...
This 10 minutes talk will help you to get your head around the variety of political structures and terms that you hear about daily. It seems a bit confusing, and it really is quite a mix of natio...
The order in which we complete our daily tasks is down to how we prioritise them. You'll often find yourself doing the more important, urgent things first, and leave the less important things till...
Each and every one of us will face problems that we must overcome in order to progress, learn and grow in our lives. All of us will differ in how we deal with our problems, and this could be a prob...
Procrastination is the active decision to delay doing something. Procrastination usually occurs when something needs to be done, that you would rather not do. This could include things like school...
Scheduling is an important tool to have in life. When you schedule, you create a plan for yourself and others to follow, meaning that you can approach and get through the work with more efficiency....
So, what are the differences between these two data types. Well, there are many, but the main one is that qualitative is anything that is described, whereas quantitative is anything that be counted.
Quantum computing is believed to be the solution to many problems both involving computers, and in society. If perfected, and harnessed correctly, quantum computing could change medicine, revoluti...
Each of us will suffer grief at some time in our live and unfortunately most of us will feel miserably lost in the midst of grief. It's very important to recognise why grief descends upon us, and...
To be confident in yourself is an important trait to strive for, to try for and possess. Being self-confident means that you have a positive outlook and mindset when it comes to your personality,...
Self-discipline is the act of making sure that you stay motivated, achieve your goals, as well as occasionally, regardless of your emotions or feelings in the moment - taking action against yoursel...
The topic of sexuality can often be difficult to talk about with other people. It’s an area of our lives that we like to keep private as it is intimate and personal. Talking to people and getting t...
When you shift your perspective, what you’re doing, or least attempting to do is see the positives. It’s easy to focus on the negatives in any situation because they’re the most impactful things o...
SMART goals are when you set out a plan to achieve something you need to do, or to accomplish, and you check the approach against these five markers: Is it Specific enough? Is it Measurable? Is it...
For all the positives that social media has brought, and continues to bring to modern society, there are unquestionable negatives that come along too. That’s what we’re talking about today. The ne...
Stereotyping is the idea that everyone or everything, or at least the majority of that person or thing is the same. People who stereotype don’t take into account the differences that people have wh...
Strategic thinking is quite simple, all it requires is to rationally, and realistically think about the situation that you’re in, taking in the variables that could change it. Quite literally, it j...
Working in a team is a task that you will come across in your life quite often. It involves the collaborative harnessing of individuals ideas as you all work towards an agreed team goal, or outcom...
As we’ve developed as a technically advanced and fairly privileged society, we’ve learnt that jobs will most likely change in the future, are changing now with new job roles being created daily wit...
If you’ve ever wondered how some people manage to get so much done in a day, it often comes down to the way they use their time. It’s no surprise that the people who can manage their time effective...
Tourette’s Syndrome is a rather unique condition when it comes to the symptoms as there is one symptom that is commonly associated with Tourette’s, swearing and saying crude, rude things in public....
Your values and beliefs are the standards and principles that you set yourself and others around you. They’re almost like your own personal book of rules for getting through life, and they vary fro...
Having a sensible work to life balance is very important; it can lead to greater success, a sense of achievement and a happier life overall. This is what can happen when your balance is good, but w...
The chances of loving everything you do, and everything that you will go through in life are slim, but you’re not alone. Research suggests that less than 20% of people worldwide actually love what...