Dubai - MENA Herald: Emirates Institute for Banking and Financial Studies (EIBFS), a regional leader in banking and finance education and training, has reported a record training year in 2015.
The institute delivered a total of 828 vocational training and education programmes and activities in 2015 - the highest recorded to date. Exceeding its 2015 target to train 19,000 participants, EIBFS welcomed a total of 21,252 participants in all – registering an increase of 18.8% compared to 2014.
Aligned with the UAE government’s objective to boost the professional capacities of Emirati citizens, EIBFS received 5,785 UAE national participants in 2015, marking an increase of 9.3% over 2014 and making up 27.3% of all participants this past year.
Speaking on the strong performance, Hussain Al Qemzi, Chairman of EIBFS, said: “EIBFS has witnessed significant growth this year. The increase in participant numbers and the diversity of our training and education programmes reinforces our commitment to building a well-qualified cadre of UAE national professionals in the country’s banking and financial services sector. As a leading UAE based institution our efforts are in line with the vision of the UAE government to develop a talent pool of Emirati professionals that can ensure the nation’s banking and financial services sector is on par with international counterparts.”
Al Qemzi added: “At EIBFS we seek to establish industry benchmarks and align training initiatives with industry demands through studying the evolving challenges in the banking and financial services sector and designing programmes to meet these demands. Through routinely collaborating with international institutions, industry leaders, banking experts and HR and talent development managers, we will continue to provide upgraded and best-in-class specialised knowledge and training programmes to raise the standard of employee performance in the UAE’s financial services industry and position and qualify employees for real-time workplace opportunities.”
Annual Training Plan
The institute delivered 552 Annual Training Plan (ATP) programmes that drew 12,603 participants, of which 3,237 were UAE nationals.
EIBFS organised 31 private training programmes and 116 insurance programmes designed to meet the specific training requirements of the banking and financial services sector and to develop the professional competencies of the insurance workforce.
In 2015, EIBFS witnessed the graduation of 135 candidates. This is in comparison to 65 in the previous year – marking a phenomenal increase of 107%. In addition, the institute offered 14 professional specialised certificates, including Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Level 1, Certified Credit Management (CCM), Certified Banking Operation (CBO) and Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment (CISI) among others. EIBFS also added Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (ACAMS) to the curriculum in 2015.
Further to this, in 2015, EIBFS organised 20 workshops on various industry-specific topics designed for mid- to senior- level management and prominent professional speakers to share expertise and exchange views and experiences. The workshops witnessed the participation of 1,074 professionals.
With a view to addressing the most pressing challenges in the banking and financial services sector, the thought sessions invited professionals to share insights on the declining oil prices and their impact on the GCC region, managing asset quality in turbulent times and the increased incidence of cyber-crimes and internet threats against financial institutions, to name a few .
As part of the institute’s initiative to develop leadership capabilities, EIBFS selected 11 leading senior bankers to attend the Leadership Development Programme at Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. EIBFS collaborates with international institutions to provide distinguished intensive training courses that inspire effective leadership and instill professional development in the UAE workforce.
Emiratisation Initiatives
In 2015, EIBFS partnered with the National Human Resource Development and Employment Authority (Tanmia), the Abu Dhabi Tawteen Council and seven leading banks – including HSBC, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank and Emirates NBD – to carry out the institute’s Masrafi initiative - a programme that aims to develop Emirati talent and qualify them for the banking sector. The institute trained 1,111 UAE nationals under this initiative - an increase of 22% from 2014.
Academic Programmes
Furthermore, in 2015 some 259 students qualified for the EIBFS bachelor’s programmes in Banking and Finance, Banking Diploma and Islamic Banking Diploma.
The EIBFS Student Affairs department organised 32 high school visits across the UAE with 2,039 students attending the institute’s educational awareness sessions.
Also, 80 students from the EIBFS banking diploma programmes received a certificate of attendance and appreciation from New York University in Abu Dhabi for their participation in a research study on Financial Risk and Investment.
Strengthening Relations with HR Managers and Banks
In 2015, EIBFS hosted 30 prominent HR and talent development managers and experts at its Annual HR & Training Forum. The HR representatives offered insight into the EIBFS’s structured and quality assured training strategy for 2016.
The institute additionally held nine focus group meetings and one technical advisory committee meeting to formulate and finalise the 2016 ATP programmes and their implementation. Attended by representatives and thought leaders from the banking sector, the focus group and technical advisory committee also reviewed the progress of the 2015 ATP programmes to further examine ways to align them with the dynamic requirements of the banking sector.
EIBFS held its first annual networking meeting for 50 Chief Executive Officers from the UAE’s banking sector to outline the institute’s progress and vision for the future. The meeting took place in the presence of His Excellency Mubarak Rashid Khamis Al Mansouri, the Governor of the UAE Central Bank, who commended EIBFS’s efforts in providing quality training to local banks and serving as a key contributor to the national banking industry.
Partnering with First Gulf Bank, EIBFS celebrated the graduation of 270 participants in the Personal Banking Programme, a certification that qualifies them to enter the banking industry.
EIBFS also signed a cooperation agreement with Tanmia that mandated the institute to hold 200 training spots open for job seekers in the banking sector.
Technology Advancements
Committed to offering best-in-class services and integrating technology into its programmes, EIBFS offers an e-learning system that provides over 80 online courses. In 2015, EIBFS enhanced this offering by launching two mobile training applications, one for students – the Moodle App – and one for bankers.
The institute additionally launched its enhanced website - http://eibfs.ae/ - following a qualitative upgrade in the organizational structure, content and ease of navigation. With additional dynamic and engaging portal offerings, the revamped website integrates several new interactive features that are suitable for a variety of devices, including desktops, laptops and smartphones.