http://www.dawn.com/weekly/education/archive/080302/education3.htm
Banking on your education
By Syed Zaffar Hassan Naqvi
The denationalisation of the banking industry in Pakistan has led it towards a high growth trajectory. The boosting profitability of the industry has attracted huge foreign investment, raising foreign shareholding to 54 per cent of the entire banking sector assets, while just seven years back 90 per cent was under state ownership. And more foreign investment is expected in the coming days as the British giant, the Barclay Group of Banking, also intends opening its branches in Pakistan.
During the public ownership period, banking in Pakistan was based on conventional lines with small use of modern technology. Foreign participation brought technological advancement accompanied by cut-throat competition, regulatory pressures and appetite for quality products and processes that brought the existing human inventory under intense pressure. In order to cope with the new challenges of the modern era, the banking industry is in need of fresh human capital.
The Institute of Bankers Pakistan (IBP), working under the aegis of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), is committed to train and develop a high quality human base for the financial sector. IBP has taken various initiatives to meet the ever rising demand of fresh blood for the banking industry.
Collaboration with national universities
In order to produce a skillful lot of young bankers, the IBP has facilitated 10 national universities to start a unique and industry-focused business administration banking and finance programme. The syllabus for this has been designed in consultation with prominent bankers. The IBP identifies 10 critical areas of banking in which training is imparted through IBP scholars on the university campus.
The participant universities are Karachi University, University of Jamshoro, Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar, Muhammad Ali Jinnah University Islamabad (MAJU), University of the Central Punjab (UCP), Gomal University, Balochistan University, Government College University Faisalabad, University of Faisalabad, IBA Sukkur and Hailey College of Banking and Finance.
The IBP also offers a three-month supervised internship for students in banks and financial institutions. During the internship, IBP depute a consultant to supervise the entire process especially the performance of the internee and keeps a close liaison with the internee and the bank management. Upon successful completion of the internship programme, the students are offered job opportunities in the banking sector. Since the start of this programme, a good number of candidates have been offered jobs in the banking sector.
Talent hunt
The IBP recently introduced the national talent hunt programme or the NTHP for fresh graduates. This is a standard test aimed to gauge a variety of skills of the participants acquired during their academic career such as verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking, and analytical writing thus developing a national talent pool.
In order to facilitate banks, financial institutions and other reputed employers in their recruitment process, IBP will maintain a strong data base of the talent pool which will be made available on demand to the prospective employers.
The IBP has so far conducted one examination under this scheme. Schedule for the next examination would be announced in due course.
Superior qualification
A specialised banking qualification is offered to bankers as well as non-bankers. Graduation in any discipline is a pre-requisite for registration in this prestigious examination. Designed by eminent bankers, the syllabus touches almost all areas of banking. The IBP also publishes books and conducts coaching classes on all subjects of the exam.
Examinations are held twice a year at 25 local and five international centres after which the successful examinees are awarded handsome cash prizes, medals and certificates. Besides this the IBP also awards scholarships to the high achievers for acquiring higher studies abroad.
The banking sector offers a promising career with unlimited growth opportunities to those who possess the requisite skills, are energetic and are not afraid of accepting new challenges and the IBP provides a vigorous route to professional excellence to young graduates for attaining the aforesaid competencies.
The writer is a banker and an IBP mentor for District Toba Tek Singh
