Irish Funds Financial Literacy TY Programme: Our Most Active Month Yet

We are now approaching the end of the Irish Funds Financial Literacy Programme for this academic year and April was our busiest month yet. We will be completing our 18th school on 16 May and since Easter have started the programme in seven schools and concluded in six. At the end of the programme, students in each school are awarded pins and a school plaque, courtesy of our sponsor, Deloitte. Read some of our highlights from this month below. 

Swords Community School 

We conducted engaging taster sessions for 105 students, divided into six groups. These sessions focused on introducing the students to financial literacy, the importance of financial wellness, pension funds, the Financial Times portfolios and giving them the knowledge to select their own shares as a group. The outcomes were impressive, with many selected stocks delivering outstanding performances. These sessions not only created lively debates among the students regarding their prospective investments but also delved into the significance of the investment funds industry and the importance of investing for one's pension. 

St. Olivers Community School, Drogheda. 

Jim Meegan, Deloitte, was joined by Julie Bowell and Rory Moran, Irish Funds. They covered the importance of having a good CV for future careers and why businesses go public and list themselves on the stock market. They were able to share tips and tricks to set up their portfolios referring to students who had previously completed the programme.  

Loreto Clonmel 

Our program lead, Eibhlin Johnston, along with Aislinn O’Keeffe of Waystone, who is also a past pupil, conducted yet another insightful session. Aislinn shared her journey of transitioning from the school to a successful career in funds, sparking a flurry of questions from the intrigued students. Notably, there was substantial interest in our program among students aspiring for careers in technology, science, and financial services. By our second visit, students had their portfolios established and demonstrated a great understanding of investment principles. Stimulating discussions ensued, including a conversation on the importance of industry regulations. 

Woodbrook College, Bray 

Our session at Woodbrook College welcomed Rachel Basquel from Deloitte as Industry Lead. The students had developed diverse portfolios and learned the importance of savings and investments for their futures. One student observed a company's decision to halt certain products amidst the Israel-Palestine conflict, sparking a conversation on ethical investment and the ramifications of such decisions on sales. Additionally, a student who invested in ETFs witnessed substantial growth in their investments, leading to a discussion on the characteristics of ETFs. 

CUS Leeson Street 

At the end of May our sessions at CUS Leeson Street came to a close with Michael D’Arcy of Principal. Remarkably, one student experienced a meteoric rise in their portfolio after investing in a new biotechnology company. The enthusiasm among students was evident when they shared those discussions about the portfolios had continued over their lunchtime conversations. We hope the budding lawyers and asset managers in this class get to put their skills to use in their future careers. We were also joined by Fionnuala Toner, Deloitte to award the students with their pins and school plaque. 

Yearly Round Up 

We are nearing the end of this year’s programme and are so excited to share our programme review at this year’s Irish Funds Annual Global Funds Conference. We will be joined by Mairead McGuinness to discuss the value this programme brings to all involved. We look forward to seeing many of you there. View full agenda and speaker details.