Heritage Bank’s Refinery for human resources tailored to tutor world class bankers
No doubt, training and retraining of corporate workers remain the growth livewire of every business sector and in the banking industry in particular.
The essence of tailored training provision according to experts includes building a human resource base that will not only drive compact operations but ensure excellent growth trajectory in companies operating in stiff competitive environments.
Accordingly, whereas other financial institutions have what they call training institutes for their new and old staff, leading retail banking giant, Heritage Bank, has set up what it called ‘The Refinery’ to serve as blast furnace for turning out world class bankers periodically.
The Refinery, which had been retraining existing staff, is also an oven for baking new staff into innovation minded bankers.
Industry analysts agree that ‘The Refinery’ is a tailored learning experience Institute with the perfect blend of technologies, techniques and methodologies to optimise training experiences, which will help employees, succeed in ensuring that the bank’s business stays ahead of the curve with the banking sector along with Heritage Bank’s target goals.
In a recent interview, the MD/CEO of Heritage Bank, Mr Ifie Sekibo, described Heritage Bank as a forward looking business whose strength lies in the ability to spot and mould talents into great professionals.
Represented by the Executive Director, Jude Monye, the chief executive explained that the word “The Refinery” was chosen for the purpose of refining its employees to emerge as gold and harness the required skills to excel in their job functions.
Sekibo, who made it clear that the Refinery was established to train, nurture and arm young employees with the right skills needed to fast-track development and enable teams to flourish, further explained that at the Refinery, “we hire young graduates who want to advance their skill levels, which will lead to a direct and indirect improvement of life for their families and communities that will culminate toward more productive, resourceful persons.”
Due to its richness in course contents and strong role modellers’ base, The Refinery has been accredited by the Governing Council of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN).
Business Hilights gathered that the Refinery, supervised by the Bank’s Human Capital Management Group was accredited by CIBN after assessing and evaluating its syllabus, curriculum and structure by panel of technocrats and seasoned bankers set up by the Institute.
CIBN in its assessment averred that Heritage Bank Plc’s training school aligns with the Competency Framework of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the professional paper standard of CIBN.
Only recently, President of the CIBN, Uche Olowo commended Heritage Bank for changing the narratives of the banking system via the establishment of a credible training facility, The Refinery that prepares trainees who are to become employees for a core professional banking experience.
Besides, the CIBN boss further hailed Heritage Bank for setting a high standard of learning facility which its structure and curriculum “is next to that of CBN’s training institute,” whilst stressing that the bank’s training school is the best in Nigerian banking industry and at par with international best standard.
Earlier in his remarks during an official visit to the Refinery in Port Harcourt, the Registrar/CEO of CIBN, Seye Awojobi, who represented Olowo, averred that the Institute would be grateful to Heritage Bank for the values it holds tenaciously for changing the narrative of the system not just supports to the Institute’s activities but in terms of human capital development and the nation’s economy.
During a recent official visit to critically assess and evaluate The Refinery in Port Harcourt, Saubana Ogunpola, member, Capacity Building and Certificate (CB&C) Committee noted that one aspect of the accreditation is the exemption of successful trainees of the bank’s training programme from nine courses in the CIBN’s professional certification examination.
Latest details from the Refinery showed that about 300 new intakes who are fresh from universities across and outside the country with diverse academic backgrounds, are currently undergoing rigorous training in an intensive 12-week academic (practical and theoretical) programme with over 30 courses in The Refinery.
