Bangkok--4 Nov--DC Consultants and Marketing Communications
HSBC has partnered with Junior Achievement (JA) Thailand to provide young students with basic financial literacy skills, so helping them to make wise and ethical decisions in their daily lives. In line with HSBC’s Corporate Sustainability philosophy, HSBC staff have volunteered to teach JA's More than Money programme at various primary schools and so prepare children for a bright financial future.
Junior Achievement (JA) Thailand is a registered charitable organization which is dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy. JA's More than Money programme is a creative, fun way for children aged 7-11 to learn about areas of personal finance such as earning, spending, sharing and saving. HSBC Group has committed to provide US$5.5 million to JA Worldwide to implement its programme over a period of four years, Thailand being one of the countries to adopt the creative learning module.
Mr. Willie Tham, Chief Executive Officer, HSBC Thailand said: “As the one of the world’s leading banks, HSBC is committed to building sustainable communities. So, we have taken the initiative to support JA's More than Money programme to groom our children to become self-sufficient and responsible citizens in the global economy. In addition to providing financial support, HSBC has also encouraged staff having good financial skills to participate in this worthwhile cause by teaching financial literacy skills to the children.”
M.L. Pairyada Diskul, JA Thailand’s Executive Director, said: “JA's More than Money programme is one of our most successful youth financial literacy educational programmes. Through a variety of hands-on activities, interactive discussions and board games, students are able to learn about the role money plays in their daily lives, effective money management and the importance of ethical business practices. In close collaboration with HSBC, we believe we can inspire young people to understand financial concepts and become better future citizens.”
Since June 2010 HSBC Thailand has piloted the JA More than Money programme in Prathom 4-6 classes at five locations, namely Amnuay Silpa School, Mater Dei School, Srivikorn School, Prathom-Nonsi School and Chokchai School. Following successful results, HSBC and JA will be expanding the programme to other schools across Thailand.
Media enquiries to Varanandha Sutthapreeda on 0-2614-4609 or Savittree Muadmuang on 0-2614-4606.
Notes to editors:
1. HSBC in Thailand
HSBC was established as the first commercial bank in Thailand in 1888. With access to global expertise and enriched local knowledge, HSBC in Thailand provides a full range of financial services including global, commercial and institutional banking, global markets, securities services, trade and supply chain, payment and cash management services to corporate customers; personal financial services and credit cards to a growing retail customer base in Thailand. HSBC is globally recognised for its high service standards, ethical practices and full commitment to corporate sustainability to benefit the local economy.
2. HSBC Holdings plc
HSBC Holdings plc, the parent company of the HSBC Group, is headquartered in London. The Group serves customers worldwide from around 8,000 offices in 87 countries and territories in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa. With assets of US$2,418 billion at 30 June 2010, HSBC is one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organisations. HSBC is marketed worldwide as ‘the world’s local bank’.
3. About JA
Junior Achievement Worldwide is a non-profit organisation financed by business, foundations, government and individuals. Since its founding in 1919, JA has been dedicated to educating students about readiness for the workforce, entrepreneurship and financial literacy through experiential, hands-on programmes. It aims to prepare young people for the real world by showing them how to generate wealth and manage it effectively, how to create jobs which make their communities more robust, and how to apply entrepreneurial thinking to the workplace.
4. JA’s More than Money Programme
The programme comprises six modules as following:
Session one: Money in the Bank
Students learn to manage a bank account. They play the Community Game to reinforce their money-management skills and develop understanding of the role and importance of money in their lives.
Session two: A sense of Worth
Students indentify businesses that they could start or jobs they could do to earn money. Activities focus on developing a positive work ethic. Students continue playing the Community Game to further understand the role of money in their lives.
Session three: Balancing Act
Students identify personal skills and interests and connect them to possible business opportunities. Working in groups, students learn about market research and play the final round of the Community Game.
Session four: Building a Business
Students explore their job skills and the types of businesses in which they are interested. They indentify the basic steps in starting and running a small business. Using this information, students develop a business plan.
Session five: Get SMART
Students continue to practice saving and spending as business teams. The concept of making SMART consumer decisions is introduced through role-play. Students work as business teams to play
Round One of the Business Game.
Session six: What’s the Catch?
During the final session, students learn to recognize deceptive advertising and importance of ethical business practices. Continuing to work as business teams, students conclude the programme by playing Round Two of the Business Game.