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VU students recognised for award-winning financial literacy project

Vice Chancellor, Professor Elizabeth Harman with SIFE student Zara Syed.

SIFE student Gavin Draper

The SIFE students and members of participating businesses with Professor Colin Clark, Executive Dean, Faculty Business and Law, and David Southwick, Head of Victoria University's Executive Education Unit.

Victoria University’s award-winning SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) Team, were officially recognised at a lunch event hosted by Professor Colin Clark, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Business and Law, at Footscray Park on Monday 6 October.

Earlier this year, eight students represented VU at the National SIFE competition in Brisbane, competing against 20 other Universities from around Australia. The team was successful in picking up two awards including a Financial Literacy award presented by HSBC.

At the lunch, which also saw the launch of the 2009 SIFE program, Victoria University’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Elizabeth Harman, presented each member of the SIFE team with a certificate. Also invited to the occasion were businesses from the western region that participated in the SIFE financial literacy initiative and the opportunity was taken to celebrate this productive relationship instigated and developed by the SIFE students.

While speaking of his pride at the students’ achievements, Professor Clark said: "I look forward to the SIFE team continuing to do great work within our local community."

VU’s School of Accounting and Finance supported the development of a VU SIFE team to work in the western region of Melbourne and promote a Financial Literacy Project. Twenty students from the Small Business and Entrepreneurship course established a SIFE VU club and developed projects aimed particularly at assisting local African business people.

In three months, the students completed three projects including a business regeneration project; an immigration bridging project; and an employment assistance project. The students conducted fundraising activities to support the projects. Local businesses involved were: Mustaqbal Express; Fowaz Shop; ABY’s Cosmetics and Curtains; ABY’s Cosmetics and Wigs; Arke Women’s Variety Shop; and Nimat Variety Shop.

The mission of SIFE is to provide tertiary students with an opportunity to contribute to their communities through the development of leadership, teamwork and communication skills that enable local businesses to participate more fully and effectively in the economic and social life of the nation.

Contact:	Ashley Sievwright Faculty of Business and Law
Phone:	+61 3 9919 1553
Email:	ashley.sievwright@vu.edu.au