Industry & Business

PayPal has announced the successful completion of a series of financial education workshops for secondary school students in partnership with Junior Achievement Ireland. More than 400 transition year students from six local secondary schools have taken part in the programme during the recent academic year at its Dundalk office.

The workshops are part of PayPal’s Financial Inclusion Charity Grant Programme, which provided Junior Achievement Ireland with €9,300 ($10,000), as well as the support of 60 PayPal teammates to deliver the workshops over three days.

Transition year students from St. Mary’s College, O’Fiaich College, Coláiste Rís, St. Louis, St. Vincent’s and Bush secondary schools were welcomed into PayPal’s European Operations Centre in Dundalk for the workshops. A number of PayPal’s senior management team were on hand to greet and meet the students.

PayPal, in partnership with Junior Achievement Ireland, delivered the Balancing Act programme, which encourages young people to remain in education, while helping them to develop the skills they need to succeed in a rapidly changing world. Junior Achievement Ireland trained 60 PayPal employees to deliver the programme. The workshops gave the transition year students the opportunity to learn more about money, budgeting, saving and financial planning.

The Balancing Act programme comprises of three modules – Balancing act; Your credit, your future; and Savvy shopper. The first of these modules educates students about living within their means, managing budgets and saving. The second component explained various financial products to the students with an emphasis on understanding credit applications criteria. The final module focused on understanding the need to plan before shopping.

The 400 students also enjoyed a guided tour of the vibrant and modern working environment at PayPal’s European Operations Centre, including the large open-plan offices, gym, games room, restaurants and cafés.

Laura Morgan Walsh, Director of Risk & Financial Services Operations EMEA, PayPal said: “As part of PayPal’s Financial Inclusion Charity Grant Programme we are delighted to support both Junior Achievement Ireland and our local schools with the delivery of these workshops. It was particularly rewarding to see the enthusiasm and interest in financial planning among so many students from the Dundalk area.

“This initiative and training will help the students prepare for the future with some essential life skills. Delivering these financial education workshops to 400 local transition year students has given us the opportunity to make a real, tangible difference to the local community.”

Lisa McKittrick, Finance Director, Junior Achievement Ireland said: “The Balancing Act programme has enabled hundreds of students in Dundalk to explore how to manage, protect and make the most of their salaries. The programme allows students to develop and practice real-world skills that they can apply to their lives immediately – such as budgeting, comparing financial products, and aligning their financial choices with their career goals. A recent survey found that only 55% of Irish adults are financially literate. We are extremely grateful to PayPal for introducing such vital financial literacy at a critical stage in the students’ development.”