News - FNB targets 250 graduates with critical tech skills

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FNB targets 250 graduates with critical tech skills

Source By Staff Writer - IT Web
1 year ago

FNB will this year provide 250 youth with work experience in fields such as information technology, commerce, data and analytics, engineering, etc, in its annual graduate programme. In a statement, the big-four bank says youth employment and skills development continue to be big challenges in South Africa. In line with the country’s efforts to improve the employment prospects of young people, FNB says it continues to look at sustainable ways to assist youth and young talent in developing the necessary skills that will help them in the future. Donald Khumalo, FNB human capital executive, says: “We’ve been running the graduate programme for several years, and it continues to play a critical role in nurturing business leaders of the future and producing the skills that South Africa desperately needs. “Our investment in young talent is consistent with our business ethos of ‘How can we help you?’, as we recognise that a lack of work experience is often a barrier for young people seeking employment opportunities. Our focus on critical skills further affirms FNB’s strategic ambition to build a platform business of the future.” The bank notes the FNB Graduate Programme supports, mentors and affords young people opportunities to contribute through participation in real business projects, innovations and engagements with experts around key initiatives. According to FNB, it has trained and supported over 1 000 graduates who are now senior leaders in some of its business units as CEOs, heads of departments, etc. It points out the minimum requirement to get into FNB’s Graduate Programme is an undergraduate degree or an equivalent in any field. Joanna Preston, head of young talent at FNB Human Capital, says: “Since the pandemic, the way we communicate, engage, attract and select talent for our graduate recruitment has shifted. "The move to a virtual way of working has given rise to a multitude of innovative ways of communicating and engaging students through interactive online events, digital interviews, assessments, as well as digital onboarding. “Since 2020, graduates have had the opportunity to work on over 20 different solutions, such as customer education in branches, spend classification on the FNB app, structured trade and commodity financing, chatbots and analytics; this also includes other app-related improvements. “The extraordinary support from the teams in which graduates are placed leads to opportunities to unlock innovation, global competitiveness and social upliftment, while creating connections and relationships that contribute to young people's prospects," concludes Preston.