Bank Muscat, the flagship financial services provider in the Sultanate, in step with its dynamic ‘Let’s Do More’ vision and commitment to partnership in development of Omani talents, launched a unique management development programme for a group of 42 employees drawn from across the bank.
The Jadara Management Development Programme launched in collaboration with Duke Corporate Education is one of the most ambitious initiatives by the bank to equip Omani employees with higher levels of professional competence and skills.
The Jadara Talent Management programme is envisaged to serve as the platform for all future training and development programmes in the bank. The launch ceremony of the first in the series of Jadara programmes was held at the bank’s head office in the presence of Management Team members led by AbdulRazak Ali Issa, Chief Executive. Notably, the select group of employees chosen to undergo the special management development programme will receive training and mentorship by Management Team members.
The Duke Corporate Education (Duke CE) is reckoned the premier global provider of customised leadership solutions. Duke CE has been ranked No. 1 in the world by the Financial Times and Businessweek for 12 years in a row (2003-2014), and among the top 3 education and training providers in the world for the past 15 years.
AbdulRazak Ali Issa said: “The Jadara Management Development Programme reflects yet another endorsement by the bank, placing its full trust in the pool of competent young Omanis within the organisation to undergo training to take up important roles in tandem with future challenges. In line with the vision of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos for a qualitative shift in national workforce, the bank is renowned for providing career growth opportunities for competent employees and the Jadara programme is designed to further energise the bank’s human resources in its quest for greater achievements.”
Bank Muscat has the distinction of outstanding leadership at all levels and has achieved 94 per cent Omanisation, giving priority for Omanis to occupy important positions. The bank’s human resources strategy is also notable in maintaining gender diversity as 48 per cent of employees are women holding various positions, including senior management positions.
Bank Muscat reckons its key strength is its competent people and is focused on equipping them to make vital contributions to the bank’s growth and success. The bank plays a prominent role in the development of Omani talent and is committed to investing in improving their skill and expertise to support the growth and development of the bank.
The development of human resources is a priority in the bank which provides educational and training opportunities to employees. Bank Muscat makes substantial allocation in the annual budget for training and development of human resources in all functions and responsibilities assigned to them. The training and development programmes are carried out through specialised educational courses conducted by accredited training centers or through academic links with colleges, universities and leading training institutes at the regional and global levels.
The dynamic ‘Let’s Do More’ vision and a set of benchmark values form the basis of a rewarding work culture in Bank Muscat. During 2015, the bank adopted a new framework for Talent Management and Succession Planning in line with international best practices. The bank’s Learning Centre provided over 10131 learning opportunities to employees through 774 courses covering 16222 training man-days in 2015.
The bank completed a leadership assessment and development programme for 75 Senior Executives in collaboration with Korn Ferry Inc, USA.
Three Management Team members attended the General Management Programme (GMP) at Harvard Business School (HBS), USA and two more are scheduled to participate in 2016.
A total of 145 Managers from departments and branches successfully completed the Tatweer Programme in 2015. Two more batches totalling 30 employees commenced the programme in 2015.
Fifty employees received educational assistance to pursue education at local universities and colleges in Oman and three graduated in 2015. Six employees were selected for programmes in overseas universities while eight employees graduated from foreign universities in 2015.