Baiduri Bank announced the second batch of apprentices in its Graduate Apprenticeship Programme (GAP) at the Baiduri Community Space, Baiduri Bank Headquarters on Friday.
From over 300 applicants, the bank has signed up 15 apprentices, who will begin their six-month programme with the bank from tomorrow. These new apprentices have academic backgrounds that range from public relations and information technology (IT) to geology, which the bank hopes will bring diversity and different ideas to the group.
Emphasising a more digital approach to recruitment, the selection process was entirely done virtually, and applicants were also assessed through a video presentation to evaluate their creativity and readiness to step out of their comfort zones.
Baiduri Bank Deputy CEO (Business Development) Pengiran Azaleen bin Pengiran Dato Haji Mustapha, Baiduri Bank Head of Group Human Resources and Administration Veronica Chong and members of the bank’s management committee represented the bank at the welcoming ceremony.
GAP is a holistic learning and development programme aimed at providing recent graduates with the necessary knowledge, skill and experience that will increase their employability in the local job market.
The programme is divided into two main parts – a classroom component and job rotations within Baiduri Bank.
In the following months, the apprentices will begin their classroom learning activities, where they will be introduced to the banking world and gain comprehensive knowledge of various financial products and services.
They will also attend courses aimed at helping them acquire soft skills such as effective communication, project management, teamwork and collaboration to enhance their overall work readiness.
Later, they will undergo on-the-job training in different departments within the bank, designed to offer them first-hand experience of the inner workings of a financial institution.
At the same time, apprentices will also be able to contribute to the bank’s many corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, and join the various health and wellness activities in Baiduri Bank’s Employee Wellness Initiative.
At the end of the six-month programme, apprentices may apply for any suitable vacancies within Baiduri Bank Group or pursue their careers with other organisations.
Ahmad Nazim bin Haji Amer Iskandar, who graduated from the University of York last year with a degree in actuarial science, hopes to learn more about the local banking and financial industry and expand his own professional network.
He said, “The other apprentices come from such different backgrounds, so one of the things I’m looking forward to is getting to know them better through this programme, learn new skills from each other and gain new perspectives.”
Meanwhile, Auni Bazilah binti Zainal, who graduated from Universiti Brunei Darussalam this year from the School of Business and Economics, said that the programme offers an opportunity for her to get to know herself more and explore her own interests to find out what career to pursue.
She said, “Through this experience I hope to learn about myself more and think about what career would suit my skills and interest best, but I’m also most looking forward to being attached to the Group Human Resources and the Corporate Banking Department in the bank to get to know more about their functions and roles.”
Baiduri Bank CEO Ti Eng Hui said, “Our first cycle of the programme was a great success and shows that the programme can offer graduates valuable real-life working experience that will assist them with getting a stronger foot-hold in the job market.
“GAP also helps them build transferable soft skills that they can apply in their future careers, so we hope that this initiative will play a role in creating an adaptable and skilled workforce that’s ready to take on any challenge in the future.”
GAP is a testament to Baiduri Bank’s commitment to assist recent graduates by helping them to develop employability skills and a learning mindset. This is also in support of Goal 1 for Brunei Vision 2035, reflecting the national aspiration to be widely recognised for an educated, highly skilled and accomplished workforce.
