Oman Arab Bank (OAB) conducted a series of training programs for undergraduates and fresh graduates. The number of trainees involved in these programs reached 57 for the first four months of the current year, while the total last year reached 171.

Not only did these programs provide the trainees with the expertise they needed to succeed in their careers, but also offered them an opportunity to put into practice what they have previous studied only theoretically.

Commenting on providing students with this opportunity, Adil Al Rahbi, the Head of the Human Resources Division of OAB said, “At OAB, we recognise the different roles we need to play in boosting our contribution to the community; roles that go beyond the traditional activities CSR may offer. It is in line with this ideology that the Bank is committed to its annual training programs for college and university students in Oman or abroad. The trainees can join different departments within the Bank based on their specialisations, with the aim of providing them with an opportunity to gain a deeper insight into a real workplace environment within the banking sector. In addition, they acquire new key skills, such as working within a team and completing work in a way that serves the goals of the entire institution.”

The training programs covered a multitude of majors that comprise accounting, marketing, finance and banking, information technology, human resources, public relations, and several more for a period of one to two months; based on the type of program chosen. Every trainee that has participated in these programs has emphasised their usefulness, and said that they were successful in acquiring new banking knowledge and skills.

“Training the students receive provides them with better job opportunities, be is within OAB itself or even other banking institutions. Moreover, during the training period, they will come across challenges that need to be overcome; providing the trainees with yet another opportunity to acquire new skills that can augment the theoretical knowledge they have already learned. As such, they will be better qualified and significantly more productive right from the first day at they work, compared to someone that hasn’t undergone such training. We are extremely pleased with the results of our training programs so far; which in turn has been a source of encouragement for us to continue offering them for the foreseeable future,” Adil further added.