ABOUT 

Who We Are

Empowering Youth Through Financial Resilience is a national initiative led by TASC (Think-tank for Action on Social Change) in partnership with the Irish Banking Culture Board (IBCB). Funded and supported by the IBCB, the project brought together TASC’s expertise in addressing inequality with insights and practical contributions from the banking sector. The result was a programme designed to strengthen the financial skills and confidence of young people who may not have had access to financial education in school or elsewhere.

What Youth Workers and Youthreach Instructors Told Us

  1. Limited financial education – Many young people never learn personal finance in school.

  2. Unstable circumstances – Insecure housing, low or irregular income, and family pressures make budgeting a challenge.

  3. Social influence – Peer expectations and social media often drive short-term spending and can lead to debt.

  4. Emotional factors – Stress and low confidence shape financial decisions just as much as income.

What We Did

We combined research and practitioner input to design a training programme and a comprehensive Toolkit of resources. The training was delivered to 61 youth workers and 15 Youthreach instructors, equipping them with interactive workshops, adaptable lesson plans and guidance on budgeting, saving, needs versus wants, fraud awareness and financial decision making.

The resources were designed to be flexible, so they could be used with different groups and literacy levels. By embedding financial resilience across youth services and Youthreach centres, the project created a ripple effect: stronger practitioners, more confident young people and more resilient communities.