Emirates NBD extends “Banker for a Day” programme to the Northern Emirates

Emirates NBD, a leading bank in the region, announced today that it would extend its “Banker for a Day” initiative to include students from the Northern Emirates region beyond Sharjah. School students from Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain and Al Ain can now avail the chance to experience one normal working day at the bank as actual employees, along with their peers from Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. 

First launched in April 2011, Emirates NBD’s “Banker for a Day” programme demonstrates its ongoing commitment to provide career development programmes for youth, and has received tremendous response from schools across the country. The third phase of the programme was organised from February to June this year at seven Emirates NBD branches across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, and witnessed the participation of 103 students from 18 schools in these emirates. This constituted an increase of around 157 per cent on the number of students and schools that participated in the programme’s first phase. The next phase of the programme is expected to kick off in October 2012. 

“At Emirates NBD, we are committed to providing young people with appropriate guidance for career development,” said Saif Al Mansoori, Deputy Head – Group Marketing and Branding, Emirates NBD. “Programmes like ‘Banker for a Day,’ which enable young people to get a real feel of the working environment within a bank, will assist them in making informed choices about their future. ‘Banker for a Day’ has proved to be a great success among secondary school students, who are in the process of indentifying future career paths. Since its launch last year, it has been steadily expanding beyond its initial boundaries, with more and more schools and students expressing the desire to participate.” 

“We are very proud to provide this unique educational experience to our youth, which will give them an insight into the workings of a bank. With a growing number of young people joining the workforce each year, early-stage quality training accompanied with employment opportunity is an excellent career start, and a smooth move forward towards the country’s development and progress,” added Al Mansoori. 

Students participating in the programme get the opportunity to spend an entire working day at an Emirates NBD Branch, working under supervision in various positions, including that of customer service representative, processing specialist, business manager, relationship manager, business centre manager and teller. Branch managers and other bank officials are also on hand to provide on-the-job training and guidance.