Cheshire MP backs online financial training course

A Cheshire politician is campaigning to help educate young people about managing their finances by backing an online training course.

Sandbach MP Fiona Bruce has given her support to the interactive e-learning MONEY STUFF programme, which has been set up by author Shirley Conrad, the Crewe Chronicle reports.

The platform enables individuals to access a maths-based 40-hour course - which is aiming to teach the subject in a more engaging way - at any time and from any location.

According to Ms Bruce, financial education is extremely important to youngsters and the course provides students with the skills they need to become "equipped for life".

It is formed of four main components that begin with simple addition and end with setting personal budgets, while instruction is also given on developing an understanding of interest calculations. Furthermore, short stories are incorporated in to the exercises and all material is written from the point of view of the learner-reader to make it more fun.

Ms Bruce was quoted as saying: "It's vital to ensure members of the next generation are better equipped than those of the present generation to make informed financial decisions."

This comes after the Department of Education announced earlier this year it is willing to include financial education in the school curriculum.

Families and businessmen and women who feel they could do with brushing up on their budgeting and money management skills should consider an e-learning course in finance, as it is an affordable method of education that can be accessed in their spare time.

With West Yorkshire-based training provider Virtual College, individuals are able to grow in confidence when it comes to budgeting and saving by taking the institution's Money Matters - Financial Inclusions module.

The training outlines the reasons why managing finances is so important and gives the key steps in setting up a bank account, while it also details the benefits of putting money aside and lists the various sources available to people that are looking to borrow money.