DBS has launched a three-year apprenticeship programme to prepare polytechnic students here for technology roles within the bank.
Developed in collaboration with Temasek Polytechnic and Nanyang Polytechnic, the DBS FinTech Apprenticeship Programme will take in 20 students this year for a start, says the bank on Oct 10.
Since 2017, about 20% of the bank’s hires have been non-degree holders. DBS plans to scale the programme across all five polytechnics in Singapore. This is part of efforts under the Techskills Accelerator (TeSA) for ITE and Polytechnics Alliance (TIP Alliance), set up by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) together with industry partners.
In each year of study, students on the DBS FinTech Apprenticeship Programme will attend masterclasses delivered by the bank’s senior engineers to gain exposure to how technology is being deployed in the banking and financial sector.
These senior engineers come from the DBS Distinguished Engineer Programme, a career track “designed to build technical mastery and deep subject matter expertise among the bank’s technologists, and to groom the most promising technology engineers to become industry thought leaders in their respective domains”.
In their second year, students will be mentored by these senior engineers on technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning (AI/ML) and blockchain.
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In their final year, students will join DBS on a full-time apprenticeship of up to 12 months. According to DBS, students may be placed in technical roles like application development, AI/ML, data and risk technology. Students will also need to complete at least 50 hours of structured learning and certification courses on DBS Tech Academy, the bank’s in-house technology training institute.
Upon graduating from the DBS FinTech Apprenticeship Programme, students will undergo a final technology hackathon to be considered for direct placement in a permanent role with DBS.
According to DBS, the new programme contributes to Singapore’s plans to build a robust pipeline of local fintech talent, as outlined in the national Financial Services Industry Transformation Map 2025, updated last month.
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As Singapore strives to be a leading global financial centre, financial institutions have a critical role to play in investing in the nation’s human capital, says Jimmy Ng, group chief information officer and head of technology and operations at DBS.
“As a key employer in Singapore, DBS remains committed to developing a robust pipeline of local talent for the banking sector, particularly in growth areas where finance and technology intersect,” says Ng. “We believe our collaboration with Temasek Polytechnic and Nanyang Polytechnic diversifies the pathways polytechnic students can take to enter the exciting world of banking and finance. We also hope the DBS FinTech Apprenticeship Programme provides a useful blueprint for industry and education institutions to forge more partnerships, which we believe will become increasingly important for nurturing the next generation of future-ready talent.”
Jeanne Liew, principal and CEO of Nanyang Polytechnic, says: “We are excited to partner DBS on this Apprenticeship programme. Our students can look forward to a meaningful experience, where they learn on-the-job from fintech professionals… This reflects our own radical teaching approach where, instead of subjects, we teach various interlocking skills needed for actual workplace tasks.”
Peter Lam, principal and CEO of Temasek Polytechnic, says: “Being immersed into the work culture in banking and fintech is an excellent way for our students to deepen their understanding of tech job roles within the finance industry. We thank DBS for this engaging collaboration that will further open the possibility of exciting career choices and opportunities within DBS and the fintech sector.
Photo: DBS
