Yorkshire Building Society is launching its Money Minds online financial education platform for children and young people aged 11-18 which aims to reach 55,000 children and young people this year. According to to new research, only four out of ten of 11-18-year-olds in Wales surveyed say they have learnt about finances at school despite it being part of the curriculum for secondary schools across the UK.

Sian Rees, branch manager at Yorkshire Building Society in Tenby, said: “We know learning how to manage finances effectively is a vital life skill. Our research has shown that too many children in Wales have limited knowledge around money management and financial issues. We really want to engage teachers, children and young people in the area to improve financial education.

“We have developed Money Minds online as part of our purpose of helping real life happen. We’re committed to helping build the financial wellbeing of our communities and believe that starts with laying great foundations for our young people to understand money, finances and careers. Ultimately, we want to improve financial capability across Wales.”

The Money Minds online platform is free to use. It has a diverse range of materials, from games, videos and animations to engage students from Key Stage 3 to 5, as well as lesson plans and teaching materials available for teachers to download and also materials for parents and carers on a variety of topics so they can help students learn at home.

In addition to financial education the site also has lessons on career development skills such as CV writing and interview techniques to help prepare older children and young people for employment.

More information about Money Minds can be found at www.ybsmoneyminds.co.uk