Polytechnic students will have access to around 300 internship and traineeship opportunities over the next one to two years, offered by a group of financial institutions.
The event, organised by the Institute of Banking and Finance (IBF), brought together 12 financial institutions, five polytechnics and three local universities to highlight the growing range of pathways into the financial sector for polytechnic students.
These include internships, traineeships and work-and-study programmes designed to help young talent gain industry experience and build job readiness.
Firms supporting the initiative include UOB, OCBC, Amundi, Prudential, JPMorganChase and Standard Chartered, among others.
Minister of State for National Development and Trade and Industry Alvin Tan, who is also a board member of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, joined students and alumni in a dialogue session that explored different routes into finance and shared reflections on navigating early careers.
To further expand opportunities, IBF signed a memorandum of understanding with UOB and the National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University and Singapore University of Social Sciences.
The initiative will explore how workplace training provided by financial institutions, including those accredited by IBF, can be recognised to accelerate learning pathways.
It also aims to support polytechnic graduates who wish to further their studies while gaining practical experience, and to help financial institutions attract and retain talent.
Students at the event engaged with financial sector professionals through a fireside chat, Ask-Me-Anything sessions and a sector showcase featuring booths by financial institutions and partners.
Earlier in the week, eight firms, including UBS, Mizuho, ING and BNY Mellon, hosted learning journeys at their offices to offer students a closer look at different areas of the industry.
Carolyn Neo, Chief Executive Officer, IBF, said,
“IBF is delighted to convene key financial institutions, local Polytechnics and Universities to create multiple pathways for polytechnic talent to access meaningful training opportunities in the financial sector.
This partnership is very timely – young talent could gain valuable exposures and develop in-demand skills in the financial sector through internships, traineeships and work-and-study initiatives in a period of heightened uncertainties in the global economy.”
Dean Tong, Head of Group Human Resources, UOB, said,
“UOB has always been a strong believer in building a diverse and future-ready workforce. Through initiatives like our U Unleash Programme launched in 2023, we have consistently championed career and internship opportunities that give students hands-on experiences in the financial sector.
This MOU marks another step forward in our commitment to build our own timber – by collaborating with universities to introduce work-and-study programmes, we aim to enable polytechnic graduates to gain work experience with UOB while pursuing their academic education.”
Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on images by freestockcenter and Dmitrii Travnikov via Freepik
