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DBS Launches Apprenticeship Programme for Polytechnic Students

DBS announced that it is launching a structured three-year apprenticeship programme to prepare polytechnic students for technology roles in the bank.

This is a part of the initiatives under the Techskills Accelerator (TeSA) for ITE and Polytechnics Alliance (TIP Alliance) set up by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) together with industry partners.

Developed in collaboration with Temasek Polytechnic and Nanyang Polytechnic, the DBS Fintech Apprenticeship Programme will take in 20 students this year for a start.

As part of the three year programme, student will attend masterclasses and receive mentorship from the bank’s senior engineers for the first two years.

In their final year, students will participate in a full-time apprenticeship with DBS for up to 12 months where they will be placed in technical roles such as application development, AI/ML, data, and risk technology for their apprenticeships.

Students will also need to complete at least 50 hours of structured learning and certification courses on the DBS Tech Academy, the bank’s in-house technology training institute.

Upon graduating from the programme, students will undergo a final technology hackathon to be considered for direct placement in a permanent role with DBS.

DBS said that it plans to scale the programme up to benefit more students across all five polytechnics in Singapore.

Since 2017, about 20% of the bank’s hires have been non-degree holders.

Jimmy Ng

Jimmy Ng, Group Chief Information Officer and Head of Technology & Operations at DBS said,

“Our collaboration with Temasek Polytechnic and Nanyang Polytechnic diversifies the pathways polytechnic students can take to enter the exciting world of banking and finance.

We also hope the DBS Fintech Apprenticeship Programme provides a useful blueprint for industry and education institutions to forge more partnerships, which we believe will become increasingly important for nurturing the next generation of future-ready talent.”