NLB Group actively promotes and supports entrepreneurship. For the last five years, the NLB Innovative Entrepreneurship Centre (NLB IEC) has been directly creating and contributing to the improvement of the entrepreneurial climate in Slovenia and promoting the implementation of financial literacy programme among those interested in the form of financial mentorship for the young.
Investing in Progress
In 2019, NLB d.d.:
The NLB CIP is an example of good business practice and a positive business environment meeting point. With a free-of-charge lease of the business premises to small entrepreneurs, for the purpose of organising various events for the internal and external public, and digitalisation of time-saving banking services, NLB Group works for the benefit of the broader society. Thus, NLB Group implements its mission of joint efforts for development and improvement of the region for the present and the future generations.
In its everyday work and organisation of events, NLB IEC fulfils the social responsibility activity as part of the centre’s regular actions and plans.
In 2019, NLB IEC hosted 143 educational and business events either organised by itself or in cooperation with different partners with a total of 6,140 participants.
The largest and the most popular social responsibility events in 2019 were:
- The Summer School of Cultural Management – in partnership with the School of Economics and Business of the University of Ljubljana,
- SEI Summer school for students – in cooperation with the US Embassy in Ljubljana,
- 3P - Pripravljeni na podjetniško pot (Ready for entrepreneurship) – in partnership with the Career centres of the University of Ljubljana and
- Falling Walls LAB – the Ljubljana University Incubator.
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Stimulation of entrepreneurship and financial literacy
Throughout 2019, the NLB IEC hosted the workshops “Personal Financial Advice,” which represents the basic training for improving the financial literacy of people from different age target groups.
Among others, it also hosted the workshop for raising financial literacy among the deaf and hard of hearing organised for the Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in cooperation of the sign language interpreter.
Financial literacy programme for the deaf (author: Iztok Lazar)
In 2019, NLB IEC organised many entrepreneurial events for young people, such as “Personal Financial Advice for the Young,” “Easy Finance,” and other workshops aimed at finding entrepreneurial ideas.
Mobile bankers prepared the presentation of the banking practices in Minicity Ljubljana for the parents and the children, and continued with the training of young athletes in the sports clubs in the framework of the Youth Sports project, the Rakek Table Tennis Club, the handball camp for the young in Izola and Pula, and the Junior skiing team. In addition to these projects, several traditional Financial Literacy workshops were carried out in elementary schools all over Slovenia. The financial literacy courses were also organised for the presidents of the clubs participating in the Youth Sports project.
The “Easy Finance” workshop was organised for the secondary school students in Celje upon the invitation of the Bank Association of Slovenia. The workshop was also carried out at the banking and personnel department of the Economics and Business secondary school Poljane, Ljubljana. In addition to these projects, NLB Group carried out several traditional Financial Literacy workshops in the secondary schools all over Slovenia. It provided financial literacy training for the students of the Economics and Business secondary school Koper which hosted students and teachers from different secondary schools from Poland, Hungary, Italy, Romania, and Bulgaria. The aim of the workshop in the English language was to present them the basic terms in the fields of financial literacy and entrepreneurship and their uses in everyday life. At the School of Economics in Ljubljana, hosting foreign students from Italy, Germany, France, and Spain, the business workshop was organised with the aim of collecting business ideas and presenting the Canvas Business model, in which they learned the basics of how to enter the business world.
In 2019, NLB d.d. organised the first Personal Finance Academy for the students of the School of Economics and Business in Ljubljana. It was carried out in the form of two 4-hour sessions intended for the students – members of the Society of Accounting and Auditing Students at the School of Economics and Business. In addition to these projects, several traditional Financial Literacy workshops were carried at various faculties.
NLB Group participated as a guest at two round tables. At the invitation of the newspaper Finance, it attended the event at the Chrystal Palace in Ljubljana with the topic ‘All There is to Know about Real Estate.’ At the Faculty of Economics and Informatics in Novo mesto, it participated in the discussion entitled ‘Business Challenges – from Business Idea to Profit.’
NLB Group started implementing the financial literacy workshops also in the companies in which we offer bonuses for the employees interested in crediting and insurance.
Minicity Ljubljana is a well-visited and popular location for children of all age groups. The props in the playroom invite the children to research. In the Bank playroom, NLB Group offers an attractive programme for the youngest who like to explore the secrets of a safe deposit box and vault, and older children who enjoy role-playing games most, particularly acting as bank consultants and customers coming to the bank to open an account and devise a savings plan. Parents often find it interesting to take part in most contents offered by the Bank playroom. On average, the activities in the Bank playroom are carried out three times a day. The frequency increases when school or kindergarten groups visit, during the weekend and during school holidays. The interest of schools and kindergartens in the Bank playroom programme increased in 2019.
Moments of excitement and curiosity at Minicity Ljubljana
Considering the visit statistics and implementation of the programme in the Bank playroom, it is estimated that more than 85% of all visitors to Ljubljana Minicity participated in this programme. The percentage is higher than the May and June average when the largest number of school and kindergarten groups visit Minicity.
In 2019, NLB Group joined the activities in the scope of the ‘JA Slovenia’ project, organised by the Institute for the promotion of entrepreneurship among the young. The Institute’s goal is to promote entrepreneurship among the young by organising educational programmes on entrepreneurship - My Company. NLB Group hosted the presentation of student companies in the Ljubljana region and actively cooperated at their final event Student Company Trade Fair 2019. It made a donation to reward the winning student company ‘Heavenly Yogurt,’ and the winning project team participated at the global JA competition in France.
For the second consecutive year, NLB IEC hosted the students from the Secondary School of Wood Engineering Škofja Loka who participate in the My Company project. NLB IEC organised two workshops for additional entrepreneurial skills and knowledge about personal finance for young people. Among other, the event also featured the opening of the exhibition of their products in the IEC Entrepreneurial gallery.
In 2019, the NLB IEC Entrepreneurial gallery continued with a wide selection of exhibitors who create their innovative products using natural materials, hand-made techniques, and lean on the rich cultural heritage. The opportunity to present their own exhibitions is offered to the entrepreneurs from all over Slovenia.
In 2019, the products of the company Pregelli d.o.o. were put on display. Their work concept is focused on the use of old stylised and discarded furniture that is no longer suitable for modern environments. They recycle it and transform it into pieces of art, thus making it suitable for placement into any environment, regardless of the style, colour and other preferences.
