FBNBank Ghana Limited, a subsidiary of FirstBank of Nigeria Limited, Sub-Saharan Africa’s premier banking brand, has presented an innovative and exciting career-shaping opportunity for young Ghanaians between 11 and 14 years old at the basic school level dubbed “Junior Internship” through which early adolescents who are customers of the bank undertake an internship programme at FBNBank with additional benefits.
Meanwhile, the first-in-the-market, FBNBank Junior Internship programme which is being rolled out since the beginning of July, is in line with the bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility agenda and is aimed at providing the bank’s “young customers,” with the consent of their parents and or guardians, an opportunity to benefit from a one-week internship at any of FBNBank’s 26 branches and service points across the country.
Under the programme, the junior interns are expected to enjoy a rich first-hand learning and mentoring experience in a world-class corporate working environment, which offers benefits like banking and financial literacy awareness, a hands-on feel of banking and customer service at the branch level, confidence building and how to interact with different people, the importance and habit of savings and career counselling and mentoring.
At the end of the internship programme, each intern is expected to present a handwritten report which is shared with the parents or guardians. FBNBank in turn, will present each intern with a certificate of participation upon completing the programme.
Young Customers, the Future of the Country
Commenting on the Junior Internship programme, Victor Yaw Asante, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of FBNBank said, “At FBNBank, we consider our young customers as the future of the country.” He explained that the initiative was in line with the bank’s broad approach to focus on the youth and it aligned with FBNBank’s corporate social responsibility agenda.
“Following this we have fashioned this development opportunity for our young ones so that we can help improve their exposure to the work environment and give them a head start in this competitive world. It is FBNBank’s aim that through our Junior Internship Programme, some of our interns would make informed career choices and back those decisions with the required effort to achieve their dreams or desires.”
Victor Yaw Asante
Mr Asante further said “We look forward with anticipation and hope to see them become accomplished professionals. That would certainly mean that we have delivered on our promise to put our stakeholders first, and in the process contribute to their future and that of Ghana.”
The Head of Retail Banking at FBNBank, Allen Quaye, on his part, said, “By linking the Junior Internship Programme to the ‘Me First’ or ‘Kids First’ account, we are guaranteeing an additional benefit of financial awareness and security for the young ones who are the account holders”.
Allen Quaye averred that through the savings, they would be better placed to pursue the careers that they had carefully chosen following their participation in the Bank’s internship programme, adding that “We believe that this is an innovative double winner for children and parents and we urge all to take advantage of this unique first-time opportunity offered by FBNBank,” he said.
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