TRAINING
Growing
Our
Talent
BANKSETA’s executive-level training
programmes will help to shape the future of
South African banking, writes Beth Shirley.
I
t was only after World War II that those working as managers
in the banking industry became known as ‘professionals’. In
fact, founders of modern western business culture, like Henry
Ford, did not believe in ‘executives’ and ‘managers’; Ford felt
that the best way to perfect management techniques was to
learn on the job.
Fast-forward to the 21st century where, as IBM chairman Sam
Palmisano points out, business is more complex than ever: ‘We
occupy a world that is connected on multiple dimensions, and at
a deep level… successful leaders need to continually identify and
develop new market opportunities for growth and innovation.’
It is in this context that the Banking Association South Africa
recommends that its members support BANKSETA’s executivelevel training programmes. And the banking institutions should be
commended for their support of further training: the sector spends
600% more on training than what is legally required. Of that skills
levy, BANKSETA uses 20% on its ‘development programmes’: the
International Executive Development Programme (IEDP); bursaries
for Masters and Executive Development courses; and doctoral and
post-doctoral bursaries.
The IEDP, a fully-funded (and always over-subscribed) initiative
is intended to supplement banking organisations’ existing executivelevel training courses, and its six-year existence has ͕