Students from St Martin’s College have achieved global recognition by winning the 2023 Global FinCap Challenge, an international competition administered by Junior Achievement Worldwide and the HSBC Group.

This follows their success in the Malta National Innovation Challenge as part of the JA Worldwide initiative “Building a Financially Capable Generation”.

Fifteen teams competed in this year’s Global FinCap Challenge which is open to students aged between 12 and 16.

“These opportunities for our students are priceless. Students from different schools in Malta had the chance to meet, interact together, and above all share their ideas and work with each other,” Matthew Caruana, CEO of JA Malta said after the win.

“The winning team was also able to do the same on an international level. We need to work harder and with the continued support of the HSBC Malta Foundation we can offer more of these opportunities to our youth in order to inspire them and set them up for future success. We owe it to them,” he continued.

The learning experience includes hands-on workshops, an educational app called FinQuest, and local Innovation Challenge events, hosted by each of the fifteen participating JA locations. The winners of each National Innovation Challenge advance to the Global FinCap Challenge.

The Maltese team, representing JA Malta, outshone competitors from around the world with their innovative app concept, Malteasy.

The app enhances the tourist experience in Malta by providing information about local events, markets, and experiences, while simultaneously promoting local producers and service providers.

For the Global FinCap Challenge, the Malteasy team introduced a budgeting tool that allows tourists to create daily itineraries based on their available resources, demonstrating their financial acumen and entrepreneurial spirit.

The students’ journey to victory began with the “Imagine if” challenge, where they were tasked with devising an innovative campaign to stimulate local job creation and entrepreneurial opportunities. Their success in the National Innovation Challenge in Malta earned them their place at the Global Innovation Challenge.

HSBC Malta is proud to have supported this initiative, which “aligns perfectly with the bank’s commitment to fostering financial literacy, innovation and sustainable growth”.

“The students’ innovative thinking and financial acumen are truly inspiring. Their victory is a testament to what can be achieved when we invest in our youth. At HSBC, we are committed to empowering young minds to create sustainable solutions for the future. Congratulations to the Malteasy team on their well-deserved success,” Michel Cordina, Executive Director at HSBC Malta said.”