Financial education

How we work

The ILO Global Programme on Financial Education is a programme addressing policy dialogue and capacity building at all levels. We work with policy makers, training providers and multipliers, as well as directly with beneficiaries.

At the macro level, the programme provides technical assistance to national governments in developing financial education strategies and adapting financial education programmes to reach vulnerable groups.

At the meso level, we help national partners and multipliers to implement and monitor financial education plans and encourage the use of the ILO Financial Education curriculum in local training programmes.

At the micro level, the programme assists in locally implementing training and increasing its outreach, while encouraging ILO certified trainers to explore and share the curriculum using innovative methods, such as mobile-based platforms, videos, SMS and apps.
 

Who we serve

We serve disadvantaged and underserved populations throughout Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America and enhance the financial capabilities of specific target groups. This includes youth, women and their families, rural workers, entrepreneurs and MSMEs, migrants, and refugees and host communities. For a complete list of our financial education beneficiaries and training materials, see the ILO Global Programme on Financial Education leaflet.

 

What we do

• Conduct research activities and impact assessment studies to refine training materials and policy advice to national financial institutions
• Offer capacity building and technical support to institutions and partners wishing to develop financial education activities
• Host an annual training course for policy-makers and practitioners, financial education programme design and implementation
• Promote the informed use of financial services through financial education tools and materials that address the needs of diverse target groups and contexts, such as refugees and migrants.
• Train and certify local trainers to offer financial education training
• Offer the free e-learning on financial education, giving participants the essential knowledge and skills and to better manage their personal finances
• Manage a Community of Practice for trainers and project teams to share experiences, gather data, create new knowledge to advance professional practice and support innovations in financial education

What we achieve

• A transformative journey: the ILO's financial education training of trainers programme (2023)
• Mobile phones, digital training and financial education to address child labour in rural West Africa (2023)
• Entrepreneurial skills and access to finance support business development among refugees in Iraq (2023)
• ILO's financial education training brings sustainability for refugee and host led businesses in Kenya (2022)

Why work with us?

Financial education is a valuable complement to other financial inclusion interventions and the ILO has successfully combined it with other support services for an even greater impact. This includes skills, migration, business development services, livelihoods improvement, entrepreneurship and the elimination of child labour.

Partners of the ILO Global Programme on Financial Education include a wide range of public and private stakeholders that interact (or want to interact) with vulnerable groups, with the goal of promoting decent work and advancing social justice. This includes development organisations, NGOs, government agencies, central banks, business development service providers, microfinance institutions, trade unions and insurance agents.

If your institution is interested in partnering with us, please tell us about your project.

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