To help Australian children break the cycle of poverty through education, Transurban and The Smith Family have formed a national partnership to help teenagers learn how to better manage their money.
Eighty Year 11 and Year 12 students in the region are supported through The Smith Family’s Learning for Life sponsorship program and a further 85 students are completing their Certificate 1 in Financial Literacy.
Transurban Queensland Group Executive, Sue Johnson said The Smith Family financial literacy programs were setting Logan students up for success.
“We want to support members of our community both on and off our roads get to where they want to go,” Ms Johnson said.
“That’s why we’re proud to partner with The Smith Family to assist Logan students set a clear financial plan for the future.”
One in six young people live in poverty in Australia, with families often forced to choose between paying for food and rent or buying school uniforms and textbooks for their children.
Mitchall lives with his mum, Jodi. He graduated from school in 2020 and, having completed The Smith Family’s Certificate 1 in Financial Literacy, says he’s already putting into practice the skills the program taught him.
“Through the program we’ve got a schedule and budget and we looked at how to pay for a car, petrol and food. You have to see how much money you’ll have in the end. I had $200 left in the end that I could save,” Mitchall said.
“I used to spend a lot of money, but I’m saving up for a car now and my own laptop,” he said.
The Smith Family’s Queensland General Manager, Alan LeMay said the program is all about giving students the skills to make positive and achievable financial goals.
”After completing the Financial Literacy program in 2019-20, 78% of students said they are now more confident making financial decisions,” Mr LeMay said.
“That’s a great outcome and now with the economy struggling due to COVID, it’s more important than ever that young people are financially literate.
So we’re very grateful that Transurban is supporting this program enabling our young people to thrive in their future lives.”
