Following PM
Lee Hsien Loong’s commitment to turning Singapore into a ‘smart nation’ at Sunday’s NDP rally, DBS Bank announced on Monday that it is investing $20 million over five years in a broad-based programme to skill its 10,000 Singapore-based employees in digital banking and emerging technologies.
According to the bank, this will enable them to thrive in the digital economy and adapt to the future of work, supporting the
Monetary Authority of Singapore’s vision to create a Smart Financial Centre where technology is used pervasively in the financial industry to increase efficiency, create opportunities, better manage risks, and improve lives.
“An agile and innovative workforce will also make Singapore’s Smart Nation ambition a reality,” said Lee Yan Hong, group head of human resources at DBS Bank. “Along with this, we are making significant investments to groom a generation of digital bankers, strengthening Singapore’s talent pool.”
The DBS programme comprises several aspects:
- Artificial intelligence-powered e-learning, which can be accessed 24/7
- Experiential learning, such as intrapreneur programmes and hackathons
- Grants and scholarships
- Innovative learning spaces
To prepare employees for the future, a new digital curriculum was specially designed and curated to help them learn about digital disruption and transformation through blended learning solutions, a combination of bite-sized e-learning modules and classroom sessions. Topics covered include understanding the digital business model, adopting agile methodologies, journey thinking and how to use technology as business enablers.
DBS employees are also given the opportunity to go on paid sabbaticals to work on prototypes and start their own businesses. The bank now runs accelerator programmes which provide mentorship and funding to help these intrapreneurs grow their concepts into prototypes.
In terms of innovative learnings spaces, DBS has invested in the development of DBS Academy and DBS Asia X, its latest innovation hub. Spanning 40,000 square feet, over 10,000 training sessions are conducted at DBS Academy each year and employees have access to a wide selection of courses, including scenario-based leadership development programmes and digital master classes.
DBS Asia X is a purpose built innovation facility for DBS employees to come together, design and develop iconic customer journeys and work in close collaboration with start-ups and the broader FinTech community.
“As the financial sector evolves, the profile of jobs will change and we are committed to helping our people adapt and embrace digital transformation through innovative and immersive continuous learning programmes,” said Lee Yan Hong, DBS.
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