Bringing Financial Education to the Team
Red Rock Communications is a close-knit team, whose Director Paul James approached Red Star Education because he wanted to offer something meaningful as part of their staff benefits – something practical, engaging, and with a long-term impact.
He wasn’t reacting to any crisis or financial stress among the team, but simply recognised that financial literacy is a life skill that many people miss out on, and as a Company they wanted to do something proactive.
Paul asked us to run regular Financial Education Days to give their team the chance to learn about everyday money topics – from understanding income tax and pensions to planning for the future and financial goals. The sessions were designed to be relaxed, free of jargon, and genuinely useful – with space for people to ask questions and build confidence with their money.
For Red Rock Communications, it was about showing the team they are cared for beyond the workplace – that financial wellbeing matters just as much as physical or mental health. The sessions have been well received, with staff appreciating the time and space to focus on their personal finances without any judgement or pressure.
It’s now a regular fixture in their wellbeing calendar – a simple but powerful way to invest in their people.
Embedding Financial Education into an Award-Winning Apprenticeship Programme
In 2022, Electricity North West, a highly respected North West-based employer, approached Red Star Education with a clear goal: to give their apprentices not just world-class training in their field, but also a strong foundation in financial literacy.
With over 40 plus new apprentices joining their award-winning programme each year, the Company wanted to make sure that from day one, their employees understood as much about personal finance as possible as well as the real value of the generous benefits package on offer – including a strong workplace pension, income protection, and private healthcare.
They recognised that while these benefits were impressive on paper, many apprentices didn’t fully understand what they meant, how they worked, or how to make the most of them. That’s where we came in. Together, we built a financial education programme that explained the topics and benefits in plain, accessible language – no jargon, no assumptions – and supported it with wider learning around budgeting, income tax, payslips, savings, and long-term financial wellbeing.
As the sessions rolled out, we paid close attention to feedback. A consistent theme emerged: some of our Muslim learners were unsure how to align parts of the financial content – especially around pensions and savings – with their faith. Rather than shy away from this, we explored how the programme could be more inclusive. We partnered with scholars from Nujum Sports, a respected organisation focused on supporting Muslim athletes and professionals (who we knew from our work in elite sports), to ensure the content around financial products was aligned with Shariah principles where needed.
The result is a tailored, inclusive financial education offering that reflects the diversity of the apprenticeship cohort – and shows real respect for each learner’s background and values. The programme is now a core part of the apprenticeship experience, and feedback from apprentices and managers alike has been overwhelmingly positive. It’s a brilliant example of how financial education, done properly, can support both individual confidence and organisational culture.