Source: Manakau and Pakakura Courier

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This year the two organisations have teamed up to boost the money smarts of South Auckland youth through a six week programme ‘Money Matters’. Uniquely designed for 15 – 17 year olds, the course unpacks everything from tax and KiwiSaver to budgeting and even stock market dividends. Already 74 Maori and Pasifika Trades Academy students have completed the training and by year’s end that number will skyrocket to around 180.

Education Unlimited trainer Victoria Hutchinson hopes that improving the financial literacy of rangatahi will better equip them for future success. Not only that, but it will have a ripple effect, uplifting whanau, communities and future generations.

“I love supporting young people to understand their finances better and to learn about the consequences of the choices we make with money,” says Victoria.

“As a Māori /Polynesian person I’m inspired by the opportunity to be part of what could be a change and improvement in the financial cycle that my people find themselves in generation after generation. Knowledge is power.”

One of the aims of MHSTA is to transition ākonga (students) into gainful employment and further education, but Trades Academy Director Steve Perks says many have little understanding of money when they enter the workforce.

“Further education is normally accompanied by part-time employment to help whānau while students are learning, but often these young people have little knowledge of tax, KiwiSaver, budgeting and more. They don’t understand why the wage they receive is not actually what appears in their wage packet,” says Steve.

“With this in mind we contacted workplace training provider Education Unlimited to better prepare our ākonga for future steps. They created a programme that is not academic and is delivered with relevant examples of how it affects the ākonga themselves. The content is relatable and relevant for them.”

Expertly designed for Year 11, 12 and 13 students, Money Matters contributes to NCEA credits, and equips students with the tools, knowledge and skills to track and manage money, avoid getting into bad debt, make informed financial decisions and ultimately, become financially free of debt and stress. Students learn about fixed vs variable expenses, surplus vs deficit, and income vs take home pay, and are provided with budgeting tools that will stand them in good stead, not just now, but for life.

Manurewa 16-year-old Blake Fotu has just completed Money Matters and he reckons he has learnt a lot.

“The course taught me how to be more responsible with my money,” says Blake. “I learned how important it is to budget and save money to avoid getting into debt.”

For Papakura teen Skyemoana Tuaineiti (17) the skills she learned will set her up for life.

“When I first started the course I didn’t know exactly what income or KiwiSaver was,” admits Skyemoana. “I learned how money works and what it can do for you. In the future this will help me with budgeting and saving – it will actually help me a lot in my life.”

And that is exactly what Steve Perks was hoping to hear.

“It all comes back to future-proofing,” he says. “By giving students a better understanding of managing money, we can help them prevent debt, and potentially save for a home and build a pension.”

When it comes to transforming lives and driving positive generational change, laying strong financial foundations like this can make all the difference.

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