Recognising the key role it plays in society, DBS today announced that notwithstanding the economic downturn caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, it is committed to hiring over 2,000 people in Singapore this year. Of this, more than 1,000 are new roles comprising a mix of apprenticeships for fresh graduates as well as more specialised roles for seasoned professionals. DBS’ annual internship programmes also continue unabated.

The announcement follows an earlier pledge by the bank that it will protect the livelihoods of its 12,000-strong workforce in Singapore. The bank has reassured staff that there will be no layoffs. All employees, including branch staff who are unable to perform their duties because of temporary branch closures amid Circuit Breaker restrictions, continue to remain on full pay. In addition, employees facing a lull in work activity are encouraged to take the opportunity to upskill themselves through a comprehensive e-learning programme that DBS has in place.

Piyush Gupta, CEO, DBS said, “Covid-19 has been devastating not only to global health, but also to economies and jobs. Job seekers, including fresh graduates this year, are understandably anxious about the dearth of opportunities available as companies tighten their belts. While DBS is also prudent in our outlook, as a key employer in Singapore, it seemed right to us to not just continue with hiring for business-as-usual activities but also to actively create new jobs where we can, so as to help more people tide through this difficult period. In particular, we want to do our part to avoid having a ‘lost’ generation of young graduates in Singapore whose career prospects are jeopardised because they are unable to find jobs due to the pandemic.”

In line with DBS’ ongoing digitalisation efforts, among the new roles being created, more than one-third or over 360 jobs are for seasoned professionals in growth technology areas. They comprise more than 300 new jobs in the areas of UX/UI, data science, fraud detection compliance, as well as consumer and institutional banking technology. Additionally, DBS is looking to train and hire over 60 people in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, full stack development and data analytics through a range of specialised talent development programmes, namely the Technology in Finance Immersion Programme (TFIP) and the TechSkills Accelerator (TeSA) Mid-Career Advance, respectively. Both programmes aim to help seasoned professionals kickstart a technology career in financial services, with the TeSA Mid-Career Advance going a step further by reskilling those without a prior background in technology.

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In addition, DBS is also recruiting more than 700 young talent in the following areas:

• Specialised programmes, which include the bank’s Graduate Associate programmes, which are designed to groom fresh graduates into future banking leaders; the Applied Wealth Management Track, which is open to students enrolled in Nanyang Business School’s Bachelor of Business programme; DBS’ Analytics Capability Enhancement Programme and Executive Management Associate Programme, which both cater to promising postgraduates. The more tech-inclined can enrol to join the Skill Enhancement Education and Development (SEED) programme supported by TeSA, which trains those with less than two years of experience so they can ultimately grow careers in roles such as development, DevOps and cybersecurity. In all, DBS expects to hire 200 people into these programmes.
• Six to 12-month traineeships, with the possibility of conversion to a permanent role. As one of the pioneer host companies participating in the SGUnited Traineeships Programme, DBS will be also be offering 500 traineeships to recent and upcoming graduates from universities, polytechnics, the Institute of Technical Education and other private educational institutions. These traineeships allow young graduates to develop their skills professionally and gain valuable working experience, giving them a firmer foothold in the job market when the economy recovers. 

DBS will also continue to run its internship programmes as part of its commitment to nurturing future generations of banking talent, ensuring that students have the opportunity to put their academic skills to the test in a real-world work environment. DBS expects to offer over 400 internship opportunities in 2020.

Finally, the Bank will continue to hire judiciously for other roles across the bank. It expects to make around 1,000 such hires in Singapore this year. Since the Covid-19 outbreak in Singapore in February, DBS has already made close to 500 hires to fill roles in client advisory, data, digital, technology as well as risk and control.

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