Why the Next Generation of Communicators will make Finance Make Sense

Talk Money Week 2025 encouraged people across the UK to open up about their finances revealing a fundamental problem: the staggeringly low levels of financial understanding many of us have. But behind this national campaign lies a tougher question: who is helping young people make sense of money?

For many, the language of finance still feels out of reach. According to research by Santander, only one in four young adults leave school with any form of financial education. As a result, many 15-24 year-olds, who will be next generation entering the world of work, do so without the confidence of skills to manage their finances, and often no idea where to start. Meanwhile, the institutions best placed to help – from schools and colleges to banks and investment firms – often still communicate complex information through a jargon-heavy, corporate lens, further distancing young audiences from important money conversations.

The confidence gap

A landmark 2025 study by London Foundation for Banking & Finance (LFBF) found that 39% of UK adults lack confidence in managing money. These capability gaps can be traced back to early education and socio-economic background. For those who haven’t grown up hearing financial conversations, the jargon can be alienating. Without the basics of budgeting, investing, or credit, financial news can feel like an entirely different language.

This is where PR and communications come into play. Financial literacy is not just about knowledge; it’s about connection. How we frame information directly affects whether the audience engages with it or ignores it. Yet inside many firms, financial expertise and communications expertise exist in different silos. However, apprenticeships are an opportunity to bridge that divide.

Learning the language

As an apprentice in FTI Consulting’s Strategic Communications team, working with financial clients every day, I’ve seen firsthand how people like me – young professionals still early in our careers without any prior financial experience – can play a powerful role in closing the country’s financial literacy gap.

When I joined FTI Consulting in October 2024, I expected to learn the technical side of PR: writing press releases, managing client calls and building corporate strategies. What surprised me was how quickly I had to learn the complex terminology of financial markets, regulation and systems. Equally important was translating those terms into everyday language.

This dual fluency is exactly where apprentices can add value. We’re close to the audiences many clients want to reach – such as young people, first time investors and new savers – and we instinctively test whether a message lands. Since apprentices attract a whole range of people who may not have followed the traditional university-to-graduate scheme path, they bring a social diversity that challenges the status quo. When I draft a message about pensions or financial planning, I’m not imagining a hypothetical consumer, instead I’m thinking about friends and peers my age who are trying to understand those exact topics. That relatability helps firms communicate more clearly and more humanly.

An overlooked opportunity

Apprenticeships in financial services, particularly within PR and communications, are often overshadowed by traditional graduate schemes. Many young people don’t consider PR apprenticeships as a pathway into the financial sector, despite the industry’s need for communication’s professionals who can translate complex financial topics for to broader audiences. This emerging talent pool could be a vital resource for bridging the financial literacy gap.

For communications teams in financial services, apprenticeships are not just a talent initiative; they’re a strategic advantage. By bringing in early career communicators, firms will get a unique insight into how young people process financial information. This will help them craft messages that cut through complexity and demonstrate genuine social purpose. The more apprentices learn about financial topics, the more they can demystify them for others, fostering a virtuous circle that supports a more financially confident and informed public.

A call for clarity and opportunity

There is still a perception that financial communications is a niche area for graduates and school leavers. In reality, this field needs young creative communicators who bring fresh perspectives and make money matters accessible. By investing in apprenticeships, firms can open the door, without lowering standards, to people who ask smart questions and demystify complex and misunderstood concepts.

Talk Money Week reminds us that everyone benefits when the nation feels confident to talk about money. But to keep that conversation going year-round, we need communicators who understand the technical side of finance and the human stories behind it.

If financial firms and communications agencies continue to welcome diverse early-career talent, we won’t just be improving job prospects — we’ll be empowering a generation to make finance make sense for everyone.