(BNA): ila Bank Bahrain, Bahrain’s fast-growing digital mobile-only bank, launches its first ever “Virtual Internship Program” for university students and fresh graduates.

The initiative commenced via an engaging social media campaign and digital contests encouraging students to apply. Underpinning ila’s commitment to supporting the local community, the internship is designed to empower young Bahraini talent with the skill-set and confidence to seek a career in the FinTech and digital banking space.

The ‘Virtual Internship Program’ will kick-off in July 2020 for a period of eight weeks.

In light of the unprecedented challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many students are experiencing major obstacles and disruptions to their routines. These vary from adjusting to study from home, adapting to the new ‘virtual’ way of learning, to struggling to carry out their usual summer internship programs, which often are mandatory to fulfilling their degree requirements. On the other hand, recent graduates are challenged with finding employment in the current pandemic environment.

“At ila, we are adaptive and resilient when dealing with change, and being agile in such a fast-paced world is crucial to success, especially in uncertain times like these. This drove us to innovate instead of canceling our summer internship programs,” Commenting on the virtual internships, ila Bank Bahrain CEO, Mohamed Al Maraj said.

As a homegrown bank that has received tremendous encouragement from the local community, ila endeavors to support the development of local talent through highs and lows. This innovative virtual program will prepare students for a fulfilling career in FinTech from the comfort of their own home. It follows a series of initiatives ila has launched in line with its youth empowerment vision.

Internships are crucial for the development of students, enabling them to put the theory they have learnt at university to practice in a real-life work environment. The skills obtained from internships are invaluable for their future and can help them grow both personally and professionally.

As the global pandemic has forced many organizations to digitalize, it is fair to say that virtual working will continue to an extent in the post- COVID-19 world. Hence, this ‘Virtual Internship Program’ promises a valuable experience for students and will contribute towards developing skilled and resilient talent ready to enter for the workforce.