Podcast #130: Education Champions are building better money habits for the next generations, with Vilma Marques at the CII and PFS

In this week’s episode of IFA Talk, we’re diving into the vital topic of financial education for young people. Joining IFA Magazine’s Meg Bratley and Jenny Hunter is Vilma Marques, Outreach Programmes Manager at the Chartered Insurance Institute and Personal Finance Society.

Vilma shares insight into the Education Champions initiative – a programme designed to bring financial professionals into schools and other organisations to help students understand real-world money matters. From budgeting and saving to financial planning and careers in finance, the scheme is all about making financial education practical, relatable, and inspiring.

With financial literacy still largely absent from the national curriculum, Vilma discusses who should be taking responsibility for improving it – schools, parents or the industry – and what kind of impact Education Champions are already having in classrooms across the UK. Encouragingly, the scheme isn’t just about learning to manage money – it’s also helping spark interest in financial planning as a career.

If you’re a financial professional who wants to give back and help the next generation build stronger money habits, this episode is for you. Vilma also explains how advisers and their firms can get involved – even with limited time and resources.

To learn more about the Education Champion scheme you can follow this link: https://www.thepfs.org/about-us/initiatives/my-personal-finance-skills/education-champions