It was a whirlwind of a day recently for the AllSkills Education team, and we wanted to share a snapshot of the work we're doing across the country. From supporting local enterprise to developing vital new financial literacy programmes and empowering women with practical money skills, our mission to foster financial and digital literacy in communities is always in full swing.
Celebrating Community and Collaboration
The day kicked off bright and early with a lovely event sponsored by Heritage Credit Union, Dublin. It was a pleasure to attend the first birthday celebration of the West DLR Business Association, held in the beautiful surroundings of Marlay House in south Dublin. It's always inspiring to see local businesses coming together and thriving, and we were delighted to be part of their special milestone.
Events like these highlight the vibrant community spirit that underpins so much of what we do at AllSkills Education. We believe that a strong community is built on informed and empowered individuals, and that includes fostering a healthy understanding of financial matters. We wanted to support this event because the Heritage Credit Union were one of our first supporters when fundraising for 'Women Money & Place' events, between them and SSE Renewables, they made it easy for us to get the ball rolling and run our first workshops sumemr 2026.
Crafting New Financial Literacy Tools
Later in the day, our focus shifted to programme development. We headed to The Guinness Enterprise Centre for a co-design session on a crucial topic: 'Pensions Savings and Investment'. This was a really productive session, where Deirdre worked on developing materials for a new FLIT (Financial Literacy) module.
We had plenty of flipchart notes and lively discussion, and while there’s still some clarification and correction needed, it's all part of the process of turning ideas into robust course materials. We're aiming to have this new FLIT module ready and in place before the end of September. This topic is hot in Ireland right now with the announcement of a new household investment account with tax incentives, to be clarified in next month's budget. We're very grateful to the resources provided by the GEC and Smart D8, which are proving invaluable in helping us bring this important educational tool to life.
Empowering Women with Financial Skills
Our final stop of the day took us to Kildare, where we held a short session on women's finance at the Leixlip Library, part of the Kildare County Council Library and Arts Service. This session was particularly timely, focusing on 'back-to-school' costs and the financial considerations that come with this period.
We find that the post-summer holiday period, when the predictable scheduling of school life returns, offers a unique window for parents. The easing of immediate time pressure allows for a moment of reflection, a chance for parents to consider their own needs, hopes, and dreams. And yes, as a parent in Ireland, you are absolutely permitted to have your own goals that are distinct from family goals and ambitions for your children! It’s about creating space for personal financial planning and empowerment.
This busy day was a perfect example of AllSkills Education CLG's commitment to delivering practical, accessible financial and digital literacy across diverse communities in Ireland. We look forward to sharing more updates on our progress and upcoming programmes.