The training session is included in the programme of activities run every year by the Bank of Spain and the National Securities Market Commission as part of Financial Education Day with the tagline “Finance for All”. Around twenty firms took part in the course which was designed to upgrade their business finance skills.
The Institut Català de Finances (ICF) has underlined its commitment to financial education by joining the events held today to mark Financial Education Day. Together with the Institut d’Estudis Financers (IEF), the public financial institution hosted a training session for managers of Catalan SMEs designed to upgrade their business finance skills by providing them with the tools and knowhow they need for better financial management of their companies.
Around twenty businessmen and women attended the training programme which took place this morning at the IEF’s main site in Barcelona. Under the title “Key Financial Factors for Managing SMEs”, attendees explored the financial management strategies needed for healthy finances to meet the future challenges facing these businesses.
For the ICF, “supporting companies in Catalonia goes far beyond offering them the financing solutions they might require at any given time,” says Anna Àlvarez, General Director of Lending at the ICF. “It is also about advising them and providing them with training options. We think that understanding financial concepts is crucial to making better decisions and addressing the challenges of their business projects with greater prospects for success.”
Meanwhile Josep Soler, the IEF’s CEO, welcomed “the interest shown by SME managers in learning about financial concepts which will help them in the management of their company.” He pointed out that “financial education for SMEs is a pivotal factor for their future and a recommendation recently made by the OECD and the G8.”
This session is included in the programme of activities run every year by the Bank of Spain and the National Securities Market Commission as part of Financial Education Day. Under the tagline Finance for All, the two institutions have run a central event which could be viewed live online. It also provided connections to a number of activities, one of which was the training session hosted by the ICF and the IEF.
Commitment to financial education
This training session is another instance of the public financial institution’s commitment to supporting initiatives unlocking education as a strategic strand to bolster finances and address economy-related challenges.
Alongside this partnership, the ICF also plays a key role in the IEF’s Financial and Entrepreneurial Education Programme of Catalonia (EFEC). “This initiative is extremely valuable for society as it furnishes the future generations with crucial expertise for handling finances properly,” notes Assís de Riba, the ICF’s Human Resources Director. “The ability to learn and gain new knowledge is greater during teenage years, so it is critical that the EFEC is aimed at young people between 15 and 16.”
This is the 9th year out of the EFEC’s 10 to date that the ICF has teamed up with this financial education programme by providing its staff to run training workshops in schools.
About the ICF
The Institut Català de Finances is Catalonia’s public financial institution. Its main mission is to foster funding for the business community in Catalonia in order to support the growth, innovation and sustainability of the Catalan economy. The ICF acts as a complement to the private sector by offering a wide range of financing solutions focusing on loans, guarantees and venture capital. Since 2014 it has been a member of the European Association of Public Banks (EAPB) which brings together most of the public banks and financial institutions operating in Europe.