HR Committees at Emirates Institute for Banking and Financial Studies Convene to Finalize 2017 Annual Training Plan

Wednesday 17 August 2016

Dubai - MENA Herald: The Emirates Institute for Banking and Financial Studies (EIBFS), a regional leader in banking and finance education and training, concluded its initial engagement with the UAE’s banking and finance professionals. The institute’s Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), a six member committee comprised of distinguished Human Resource (HR) managers from UAE’s local and international banks, convened throughout the year to develop, enhance and finalize the 2017 Annual Training Plan – aligning program curricula with the demands and requirements of the banking and finance industry.

Holding periodic meetings in the first half of the year, the TAC gathered to analyse the 2016 training outcomes and review training and academic program content and relevance. Having evaluated the current curriculum designs, the TAC outlined numerous recommendations for the upcoming year – proposing new strategies and program syllabi tailored to meet both the requirements of the banking and finance sector and the needs of the professional workforce, particularly UAE nationals. Concluding its comprehensive review, the TAC compiled suggestions on how to maintain up-to-date course curricula reflective of the current banking and finance practices.

With the objective of enhancing the Annual Training Plan, the TAC additionally charted out recommendations to encourage cooperation and coordination between EIBFS and financial and banking institutions – connecting EIBFS program coordinators to specialists and professionals in the industry.

The TAC comprises of HR managers from Emirates NBD, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, First Gulf Bank, Citi Bank, Commercial Bank of Dubai and Barclays Bank.

Commenting on the TAC and their integral role at the institute, Jamal Al Jassmi, General Manager at EIBFS, said: “EIBFS is committed to engaging with banking and finance specialists and collaborating with talent acquisition managers to leverage their expertise and understand current industry trends, market fluctuations and workforce requirements. With the help of the Technical Advisory Committee and their invaluable feedback and program recommendations, EIBFS can effectively align the institute’s course curriculum with industry needs and provide best-in-class training for the nation’s most promising professionals – further reinforcing our position as a premier academic and training institution.”

Speaking on the importance of developing professional capacities in the banking sector, the current Chairman of the TAC, Husam Al Sayed, Group Chief Human Resource Officer at Emirates NBD, said: “At Emirates NBD, we invest in vocational skills and build local capabilities along with specialized competences for entry, mid and senior level employees. Partnering with EIBFS on curriculum design, we hope to develop the professional capabilities needed to cater to the growing requirements of the banking sector – paying particular attention to entry level talent by offering premier coaching and mentoring services.”

Committed to building meaningful relationships with premier academic and training institutions, TAC member Waheeb Al Khazraji, Head of Human Resources at Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, similarly commented: “Banking institutions and the sector’s workforce competences play a critical role in all economies, particularly in emerging markets. For this reason, it is important for banks to establish ongoing partnerships and to engage in high level dialogues with academic institutions. Committed to promoting real-time training for the banking and financial services sector, we have fostered a long-standing and successful partnership with EIBFS.
Al Khazraji added: “It is our responsibility as banks to ensure that training and academic curricula are aligned with our growth objectives along with our recruitment criteria. Together with EIBFS, we will continue to help tailor and design relevant programs that adhere to today’s trends and requirements.”
In 2014, EIBFS established several overview committees – including the TAC – with the objective of adequately linking the institute’s academic and training staff with HR managers and banking and finance experts. In line with this mission, EIBFS inaugurated nine Focus Group Committees mandated to review, update and improve the Annual Training Plan and its various specialisations. Allocating one focus group to each of the institute’s banking and finance branches, EIBFS convenes banking and finance specialists several times a year to discuss, deliberate and analyse current industry trends, challenges and opportunities while assessing the relevance and quality of EIBFS courses and lecturers. Following the deliberations, the committees provide specialised feedback on course materials.

The Focus Group Committees cover nine sector specific topics including:

Bank & Science Operations
Banking English
Credit Management, Corporate & Project Finance
E-Banking Applications Programs
HR Management and Leadership
Islamic Banking Programs
Marketing, Sales & Customer Service
Risk Management & Compliance
Treasury & Investment Programs.

EIBFS has been globally integrated with leading organizations, universities and financial institutions to ensure ongoing availability of best-in-class programs and courses in the UAE.

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