By Andrew Green, Staff Reporter
University of the West Indies (UWI) Vice-Chancellor, Rex Nettleford (right), gestures to FirstCaribbean International Bank (FIB) chairman, Michael Mansoor (centre), and its chief executive officer, Charles Pink. They were participating in the signing of a US$300,000 partnership agreement between the two institutions at the UWI Mona campus yesterday. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer
FUNDING HAS been provided for the University of the West Indies (UWI) to support the development of a Caribbean bankers professional training programme.
That programme is one of a series of initiatives being undertaken between the UWI and FirstCaribbean International Bank (FIB) to form a strategic alliance. Chairman of FIB, Michael Mansoor, and UWI Vice-Chancellor, Rex Nettleford, signed the US$300,000 partnership agreement on the Mona campus yesterday.
"The University will design a comprehensive programme of specialist training for professionals in the regional banking and financial services sector," Mr. Mansoor said. "This programme will be accredited by UWI and will represent an alternative to similar ones offered by extra-regional sources."
The curriculum will offer training from the certificate up to the masters level, Mr. Mansoor said. FirstCaribbean will provide expertise in developing the curricula and provide financial support and encouragement for its staff to enrol in the programme.
There are international as well as local banking programmes available, but no programme with a cross-Caribbean regional focus, said Raymond Campbell, FIB country manager for Jamaica. For FIB, it would thus fill a valuable niche.
A scholarship programme for undergraduate and graduate students will be established, along with mentorship and internship programmes at FirstCaribbean banks across the region. The financial institution has also pledged sponsorship for the Sir Frank Worrell Lecture, which will now be called the FirstCaribbean Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Lecture.
Another aspect of the programme is that the University will become a preferred supplier of in-house training programmes for First-Caribbean staff. And the UWI will also provide venues for staff training and consider the feasibility of establishing an executive leadership lounge and retreat.
"I hope this will serve as a model to the rest of the private sector," Professor Nettleford said. "The region needs this kind of initiative."
The signing ceremony took place just before the official launch of the FirstCaribbean brand in Jamaica. FirstCaribbean is the result of the combination of Barclays Bank Plc and CIBC West Indies Holding Limited.
