In order to upgrade its staff and equip them for the digital era, UOB has launched a comprehensive learning and development program to upskill its employees.

The «Better U» program includes a 12-week foundation course alongside more specific career pathways and learning tracks. Its 12-week course focuses on five core competencies: encouraging a growth mindset; alongside acquiring skills in complex problem solving; digital innovation; human-centered design; and data.

For its career pathways and learning tracks, it recently introduced the fields of data management and project management which will be covered in three-year programs.

Soft and Hard Skills

According to the bank, the Better U program was the first such training initiative accredited by the Institute of Banking and Finance Singapore (IBF) that included both soft skills coupled with digital and data skills. By 2020, UOB expects that at least 70 percent of its more than 26,000 employees globally will have completed the foundation course and subsequently receive a UOB-IBF certificate of achievement. 

«By designing a holistic development program that covers both soft and technical skills, we are sowing the seeds of learning to prepare our people for successful careers in an industry that is undergoing significant change,» said Dean Tong, UOB’s head of group HR.