Financial education is now high on the agenda for schools and colleges, and several businesses on the island are supporting projects which complement the national curriculum.

Former Ramsey Grammar School student Isaac Jagu is a great example of the positive impact this is having.

In 2017 he attended Old Mutual International Money Skills for Schools Week sessions when he was studying A-levels.

This year, the 21-year-old was one of a team of 15 Old Mutual International employees who delivered financial education to the next generation of students as part of the annual initiative.

Old Mutual International’s Money Skills for Schools Week began in 2017. Since then, every spring students from high schools across the island attend a series of classes designed to develop their understanding of money matters, and learn skills to help them manage their personal finances.

The scheme is supported by participating schools, the Department for Education, Sport and Culture, and MyBnk which is the award-winning UK financial education charity for young people.

Sessions are specifically designed to complement financial education which takes place as part of the regular school curriculum.

Students develop skills and gain knowledge that can help them manage their pocket money or earnings from part-time work while still studying, and they also learn about financial matters that will help them when they leave school to enter higher education or start work.

’One of the great things about Money Skills for Schools Week is that it is interactive and engaging, and each session is tailored to suit the needs of each group of students,’ said Isaac.

’When I took part in the 2017 scheme as a student I had little idea about such things as VAT and National Insurance contributions, so it really helped me to start thinking about financial factors that I needed to know about before I started work. Although it’s not strictly part of Money Skills for Schools Week’s remit, it also helped me to start thinking in more detail about career opportunities.’

Isaac is now working at Old Mutual International as an investment services technician, and in May took part in this year’s Money Skills for Schools Week as a trainer.

’It was great to be involved delivering sessions this year, especially as I have experienced first-hand the benefits that this initiative provides to students,’ he added.

One of his colleagues, corporate trainer and facilitator, Filipe Santos, has taken part in Money Skills for Schools Week every year as one of the company’s team of volunteers who support MyBnk financial experts and school staff.

Filipe said: ’Money Skills for Schools Week has evolved each year to suit the exact needs of schools in terms of how the sessions complement other elements of the curriculum which relate to financial education.

’It’s always really exciting to see how students engage enthusiastically with the sessions and start to think more deeply about what they need, and what they want, and how those decisions affect their finances now and in the future. I

’I’ve also found that it’s a rewarding experience in terms of giving something back to the community in which we live and work, and from my point of view as a training professional.

’Every year, students and trainers find that it’s a very positive experience.’