Students in Bath have been learning how to better control their finances with a week of money management advice from the City of Bath College.
The College has teamed up with Barclays to offer tutorials on money, budgeting and credit cards, and to provide students with money saving tips and advice on how to get value for money.
Jo Campbell, the College’s Student Mentor, has been manning an advice stand and offering money-related activities, such as taste tests of different brands of the same food products.
Students have also been encouraged to submit their own money-saving tips and take part in a money-related quiz to be in with a chance of winning gift vouchers, cinema tickets and a trip to Barclays HQ.
This week’s Money Skills Week is part of the College’s yearly programme of activities for students, which also includes advice and information on issues like staying safe and keeping healthy.
Jo said: “It’s all about getting students to consider how they spend their money, for example they could save money by buying cheaper food brands.
“A lot of students don’t think about where their money is going; they just spend it when they have it.
“But we want them to think about how they can budget and save money. Over time this will help their money go further.”
The Money Skills Week is part of a national programme offered by Barclays with the bank providing the resources, tutorial plans and volunteers.
The sponsored events aim to reach more than 100,000 students at 200 colleges nationwide.
Chris Hearn, Head of Education at Barclays, said: “Building on the success of the programme last year, we’re determined to help young people develop the skills they need in later life to manage money effectively.
“For young people living in the UK it has never been more important to learn these skills with the rising cost of university tuition and increased living costs. We are proud to be part of a scheme which gives young people the skills they need for a secure financial future.”
