Less than a year after its launch, Malta’s Centre of Excellence in Financial Capability & Entrepreneurship (CoE) has seen demand for its training more than triple, with upcoming October sessions already fully booked.

The CoE was set up in October 2024 by JA Malta in partnership with the HSBC Malta Foundation and the Ministry for Education. Its mission is to equip schools with accredited training, practical resources, and ongoing mentorship to integrate financial capability and entrepreneurship across the curriculum.

Pilot projects in schools have already shown strong results, with students engaging in skills such as budgeting, saving, avoiding scams, and planning for future goals. In June, 19 educators were recognised as Accredited Financial Capability Teachers after months of applying the training in classrooms. Many are now mentoring peers and contributing to the CoE’s growing community of practice.

“Our vision was clear: financial capability should not be a stand-alone subject but a way of teaching across disciplines,” said Petra Ellul-Mercer, Financial Capability Project Developer at JA Malta. “The surge in demand shows that schools and educators are eager for practical training that delivers immediate benefits for students.”

The CoE is also linking financial education to sustainability and entrepreneurship projects, including initiatives such as Eco Skola and Let’s Talk Farming. One hands-on resource is Dilemme, a financial education board game adapted for Maltese classrooms with support from the HSBC Malta Foundation.

“This is such an important initiative, and it is encouraging to see it off to such a strong start,” said Glenn Bugeja, Head of Corporate Sustainability at HSBC Bank Malta. “By working together with educators and partners, we are helping to build lifelong skills and confidence that young people will carry into their future careers and communities.”

Next month, on the first anniversary of its launch, the CoE will recognise the first schools to achieve official Centre of Excellence status during the Digital Finance Frontiers conference on 15 October.