Maybank Singapore announced the launch of a certified course on future-ready skills to help sharpen employees’ capabilities and tackle new challenges in the future economy. The proprietary curriculum, Maybank FutureReady Certification Course, was developed in partnership with Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) and accredited by the Institute of Banking and Finance Singapore (IBF).

This new course in Singapore is part of Maybank Group’s S$10 million FutureReady digital upskilling programs for all employees. The launch ceremony of Maybank FutureReady Certification Course was held on 22 April 2019 at Maybank Tower, where Dr. John Lee, Country CEO and CEO of Maybank Singapore, and Jeanne Liew, Principal, and CEO of NYP, signed the memorandum of understanding (MOU).

Speaking at the event, Dr. John Lee said, “In today’s fast-changing digitalized environment, technological advancements will inevitably impact the employability of individuals. By introducing this customized 10-day Maybank FutureReady Certification Course, we support the upskilling of our employees in practical and strategic ways.”

Dr. John Lee added, “The creation of this course is not only aligned with Singapore’s Smart Nation movement within the banking industry, but also empowers employees to take ownership of their learning and growth, and instills in them the spirit of lifelong learning, particularly for employees aged above 40.”

The course will be held at NYP where its lecturers will deliver the curriculum. More than 300 Maybank Singapore employees will complete the course in batches over the next two years, constituting over 15% of its workforce.

Jeanne Liew, Principal and Chief Executive Officer of Nanyang Polytechnic, shared, “The courses will be in key areas such as data analytics, design thinking, and cybersecurity, contextualized for the financial services sector. The financial services sector is undergoing unprecedented changes due to shift in demographic preferences, mass adoption of smartphones and availability of big data. Coupled with the rise of the experience economy, competition and ever pressing cyber risks, the need to stay current is now more urgent than ever. We believe these courses will help prepare the employees of Maybank Singapore for these challenges.”

Witnessing the MOU signing was Ng Nam Sin, CEO of IBF, who also gave a speech on the impact of automation and digital technology on financial services jobs, emphasizing the importance of future-oriented skills. He said, “Maybank has adopted IBF’s six-pillar Future enables learning framework and turned them into a comprehensive curriculum.”

The first intake of Maybank employees began their lessons in late March and will take weekly lessons over 10 weeks to complete the course, receiving certification for their newlyhoned skills in end May.