By Elizabeth Amihor
First Academy foundation school in order to develop the First Bank workforce has said it would combine the tenets of corporate training with the intellectual discipline and rigour that underpin academic learning.

The Chief Executive Officer, First bank Nigeria Plc, Mr. Bisi Onasanya, disclosed this at the school graduation ceremony, yesterday in Lagos.

He said, “I would like to reiterate that we are determined to have First Academy stand true to its name. As our grandaunts would attest, in developing the First Bank workforce, the academy is combining the tenets of corporate training with the intellectual discipline and rigour that underpin academic learning, as we accentuate workplace performance and productivity.”

Speaking at the event Bisi said that the Academy is committed to attracting and retaining the best human capital available in the banking market whilst a platform is also provided through the Academy to hone the skills, knowledge and capabilities of their workforce for competitive advantage.

Speaking further, bisi said that the academy was designed to offer newly hired first bankers the full spectrum of basic Banking and finance competencies (through ‘hands-on learning), while embedding First bank’s culture at the formative stage of the employees’ careers.

“First Academy was specifically inaugurated to provide a strategic platform for competence development, knowledge management, culture change, and overall organizational transformation. The academy is made up the Foundation School for entry-level staff, the Specialized Banking School, Management School and Leadership School. Our goal is to continually invest in our people, in order to uphold superior performance, sustain shareholder value, and assure our Bank’s future successes in a sustainable manner.”

Congratulating the gruaduants Bisi said, “I am delighted to join you at this event which marks the end of the 16 weeks intensive learning journey of the pioneer set of the First Academy Foundation School. I commend and congratulate today’s grandaunts who have gone through various sessions of in-depth learning and developments, to enable them successfully navigate through their careers in the Bank.

“I am certain that the grandaunts have gained significant knowledge of the Bank’s heritage, strategy, products and services, business policies and processes, as well as people management practices, among other insights offered in the Foundation School”, he added.