Dubai - MENA Herald: Emirates Institute for Banking and Financial Studies (EIBFS), a regional leader in banking and finance education and training, in collaboration with Emirates NBD honoured 236 UAE nationals for successfully completing the Al Misha’al programme, as well as the Programme for Accelerated Learning (PAL). Hosted at the EIBFS Dubai campus, the distinguished ceremony celebrated 185 Al Misha’al graduates and 51 PAL graduates.
Committed to supporting the career growth of UAE nationals, EIBFS partnered with Emirates NBD to design and deliver comprehensive and rigorous training and mentoring programmes for both high school and university level graduates. Al Misha’al and PAL include a wide range of modules and offer on the job training to equip trainees with the professional and personal skills needed for pursuing a career at Emirates NBD among other banks in the UAE.
Commenting on the ceremony, Jamal Al Jassmi, General Manager of EIBFS, said: “We congratulate all 236 UAE graduates. I am confident this year’s talented and dedicated class is well empowered to face industry challenges head on and make their mark in the banking and finance industry.”
He added: “We are committed to developing and employing national talent and enhancing the financial industry’s competency. Aligned with the government’s Emiratisation strategy, our objective is to prepare, educate and integrate the national workforce into banks. By offering specialised training programmes tailored to the dynamic demands of the financial sector, programmes such as Al Misha’al and PAL prepare students for a variety of banking capacities and enable them to pursue long-term careers.”
University graduates that have successfully completed the six-month intensive PAL programme are inducted into the bank’s numerous business units, including Retail Banking, IT, Finance, Wholesale, among others. The Al Misha’al trainees, targeted towards high school graduates, take up positions related to banking operations, branch automation and customer service.
Speaking on the collaboration, Husam Al Sayed, General Manager Group Human Resources at Emirates NBD, said: “In collaboration with EIBFS (Emirates Institute of Banking and Financial Studies), Emirates NBD offers specialised training programmes that are aimed at developing national talent within the bank and enabling future leaders of the UAE economy. It is in line with our Emiratisation strategy and continued contribution to the development of a national workforce. Our partnership with EIBFS enhanced our training programme offerings in line with top-notch international standards and enabled us to attract the right talent. Together we provide rigorous, real time training courses that contribute to long-term career growth and success.”
Richard Roshay, resident in-house trainer for EIBFS, said: “It has been an enormous pleasure to be part of this ambitious and highly successful project. The opportunity to work with aspiring Emiratis who seek to make the all-important first-step on the professional ladder is exciting and rewarding. In the course of the program, I have again and again witnessed significant changes not only in the confidence and use of English of the trainees, but in their adoption of professional attitudes and behaviour as well.”
The Al Misha’al programme and the Programme for Accelerated Learning seek to combine theoretical and practical components to equip students with technical and soft skills required for their roles in the banking sector. Offering a dynamic and interactive environment, the programmes replicate day-to-day banking scenarios seamlessly integrating hands-on experience with authentic documentation, industry software and tools and real-time problem solving sessions.
He added: “Over the course of the last two years, the training programme has evolved considerably, taking into account both the diverse needs of the trainees and the demands of Emirates NBD training department. Complementing these changes, and adding to the success of the programme, there has been an on-going evolution in the teaching and learning paradigm towards a more collective and collaborative learning approach. Trainees work collaboratively on mini-projects in the computer labs and work collectively in researching and developing presentations in small groups.”
Education and training institutes such as EIBFS play an integral role in developing a highly skilled workforce capable of meeting the long-term ambitions of the wider financial services industry and contributing to the national economic growth.
