News

MEGA CREDIT UNION OF THE YEAR 2015
FINANCIAL LITERACY PROGRAMME

First Regional Co-operative Credit Union was among a number of Credit Unions island-wide which participated in a financial literacy programme in May 2015, designed to expose students to the basic steps of budgeting and money management, including saving.

First Regional’s CEO, Ms. Patricia Smith presenting Zavoy Hayles with his certificate of participation in the Financial Literacy Programme

The Financial Literacy Programme falls under the Ministry of Education’s Junior Achievement Programme aimed at sensi tising high school children about the critical role that income plays in their personal finances.

The Jamaica Co-operative Credit Union League (JCCUL) is partnering with the Junior Achievement Programme in this regard, with the objective of having students consider Credit Unions their first saving and money-management option.

Some 1120 high school students participated island wide. First Regional’s lectures were conducted by Marketing Manager, Kerry-Ann Gordon at the York Castle High School in Brown’s Town, St. Ann, where 32 students participated during the month of May. Miss Gordon said the students benefitted from having a practical application of money management and the ability to relate this to real life situations.

First Regional’s Marketing Manager, Kerry-Ann Gordon (centre) pose with some of the students who participated in the Financial Literacy Programme and who won gift certificates 

 

Under the programme, the students learnt that healthy personal finances come as a result of planning and good money management. Other objectives of the Financial Literacy Programme included having students:

  • Evaluate the effect their educational choices have on lifetime earnings,
  • Analyse major life goals, such as careers and future studies, and the financial implications of these.
  • Understand the importance of planning in making financial decisions.

 

At the end of the lecture series, students were required to write essays detailing what they learnt from the programme. The winner received a First Regional gift certificate and a tablet courtesy of JCCUL; while the runners-up were awarded gift certificates from First Regional. Of the credit unions which participated in the Financial Literacy Programme programme, First Regional placed third.