November is promoted as Financial Literacy Month in Canada. NAIT’s JR Shaw School of Business is contributing to this national campaign by organizing Financial Literacy Week. The three-day event commences on Nov. 19 and wraps up on Nov. 21. The event is scheduled for two hours daily from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. with simultaneous and successive info sessions on different money lessons. The school is hosting the sessions online and welcoming all participants inside and outside NAIT.
In the words of Thomas Varghese, Chair of the Finance program at the JR Shaw School of Business, “In the same way we are health conscious, we want people to be financially conscious.” Varghese explained that traditionally, Canadians are not good at saving, there’s a temptation to spend rather than save—especially for students, said Varghese. “Canadians as a whole are not good … personally, I would think students will be worse because the general temptation is if you have 10 dollars, spend 10 dollars,” said Varghese.
This is the fourth time the event is happening and it has previously been rewarding for both participants and organizers. Reviews about the event have been positive: “I have more financial knowledge and know how I can budget/save for the future. The activities were fun and engaging and Fin Lit Week is helping me be more mindful about spending,” read one review. “The sessions were well put together – interesting and informative,” said another.
The sessions will include opportunities for participants to ask the presenters questions and do some engaging activities. As Varghese explained, “We want the presenter to be engaged with the participants, [and] the participant to engage with the presenter.”
For NAIT students, this is not just an info session; it can also be a good networking opportunity. As Varghese revealed, “I have one thing specifically for our students, all these presenters are industry professionals. Some may be hiring managers we don’t know. So, when you attend these sessions, make sure that you get their connection, connect with them through LinkedIn.” He proceeded to share the student experience at previous events, “I know at least for two instances where our students got connected with these presenters and later, they got jobs.”
Since many sessions on different topics will be running at the same time, participants may not be able to attend all the sessions. “Choose one session that you would like in the first set, then choose the next one that you like in the next set,” recommended Varghese. All the sessions in the event are going to be recorded for the participants to refer back to. “Even if you miss any session, it is all going to be recorded and you can watch it later on,” he explained. The recordings for sessions from the last events can be accessed on theNAIT JR Shaw School of Business Experiential Learning page.
Every year new topics are added, with new presenters or new strategies. Participants can also make suggestions for topics they want to learn more about. Some of the suggestions made in last year’s event include ADHD-relevant financial tips and getting out of debt, among others.
All participants will be entered to win a $50 One at NAIT gift card. Three cards will be given away each day, but participants must attend the whole event and be present at the time of the draw.
To attend the Financial Literacy Week at NAIT event, register through EventBrite or visit bit.ly/3NTpqxE
