Banker S.A. January 2014 | Page 20

FEATURE Critical skills: growing South Africa’s bankers With the banking profession becoming more competitive and sophisticated by the day, training professionals in the sector has become essential for employees to keep up with an ever-shifting global economy. Graduates on the South African Reserve Bank’s 12-month Cadet Graduate Programme. I n South Africa, a developmental state that has suffered historical injustices, the professional skilling of the previously disadvantaged is key to transforming the financial services sector. As part of a process to continue developing bank professional skills in South Africa, the local banking industry – institutions like BANKSETA, the Institute of Bankers (IOB), the South African Reserve Bank and other stakeholders – have been investing millions of rands in efforts to support and nurture future skills needed to sustain the country’s banking sector. 18 BANKER SA Professional Development.indd 18 BANKSETA is regarded as one of the best sector education and training authorities in the country. Over the years it has carried a mandate to encourage banks to develop an active learning environment in the workplace and promote transformation by ensuring that more women, black employees and the disabled, continue to be professionally skilled. As part of this mandate, BANKSETA offers post-matric learnership programmes, a certificate in management development, masters and executive short courses at a number of universities, an international executive development programme aimed at preparing senior managers in banks for executive roles. Edition 8 2013/12/20 10:05 AM