Unicaja Banco, in collaboration with the Edufinet Project, has recently given a workshop on financial education for seniors, with the goal of increasing their knowledge on finance and improving their digital banking skills. This session has been developed at the headquarters of 42 Málaga, one of the most innovative programming campus, promoted by Fundación Telefónica, the City Hall of Malaga, Junta de Andalucía and the Provincial Council
More than 30 attendees have participated in this activity, in which, through various presentations, have learnt basic notions about sustainable finance, cryptocurrencies and their technology, and learnt about the main risks in terms of cybersecurity, among other topics.
This initiative falls within the exercise of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) of Unicaja Banco, in its interest in promoting the financial inclusion of the elderly and contributing through their training to reduce the digital gap, and in the actions developed by the bank after joining the strategic protocol promoted by the financial sector to strengthen the social and sustainable commitment of banks in relation to this demographic
The Edufinet Project, a financial education programme promoted by Unicaja Banco and Fundación Unicaja, opened this session with a talk on sustainable finance given by its Coordinator, José María López, in which, in addition to various current issues related to this area, he also addressed its relationship with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the fight against climate change as fundamental drivers of economic transformation.
In addition, the Edufinet Project Coordinator has taught the attendees about the world of cryptocurrencies and digital currencies. With more than 17 years of experience, Edufinet is one of the pioneering projects in the fields of financial education and inclusion in Spain and currently has the collaboration of some thirty entities, including institutions, business organizations and universities.
The Head of Innovation of Unicaja Banco, Israel Rodríguez, discussed with the attendees the relationship between the traditional financial system and cryptocurrencies, responding to the queries and concerns on this topic and explaining the most important concepts and ideas in the technological field.
Finally, the Head of Innovation Area and Cybersecurity and Cloud Laboratory of Telefónica Tech, Sergio de los Santos, reported on the main risks in terms of cybersecurity and on the necessary protection measures to prevent these cyberattacks.
At the end of this training activity, participants were given the latest edition of the Edufinet Project’s Financial Education Guide.
Specific service for the elderly
Unicaja Banco pays specific attention to the elderly, a demographic of priority interest for the financial institution. In this line, the bank has been carrying out different actions aimed at this segment, such as the advance payment of pensions; various actions in financial and digital education, both through the Edufinet Project and the financial institution itself, as well as different agreements with public institutions.
Following the adhesion to the strategic protocol promoted by the sector to strengthen the social and sustainable commitment of the banking sector, especially with the elderly and the disabled, Unicaja Banco has also implemented a series of measures. Among them, the extension of the opening hours from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for cash services, provided at the teller window or at the ATM; specific training for employees and customers; implementation of preferential telephone service free of charge, through a personal interlocutor, with minimum opening hours from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; improvement of the accessibility and simplicity of the entire ATM network, and a commitment to repair out-of-service ATMs to ensure the supply of cash within a maximum of two working days.
In addition, Unicaja Banco has joined the Framework Collaboration Agreement with the Department of Equality, Social Policies and Conciliation of the Junta de Andalucía, with the aim of reducing the digital gap through the development of training actions and communication processes adapted to the elderly.
On the other hand, Unicaja Banco also continues to work, both internally and in collaboration with the financial sector and local administrations, in the search for other solutions to contribute to the financial inclusion of the elderly, in order to continue to offer them the best service and greater personalization through its different customer service channels. In this context, in some provinces, especially in rural areas, agreements have been reached with public administrations (provincial or local councils) to enable the maintenance of financial services, including the installation of ATMs in areas of low population density or where there is little financial supply.
