The second batch of the employee-training program of Amenfiman Rural Bank Limited, known as the Amenfiman Talent Academy Programme (A-TAP) has graduated.
The programme which was instituted in 2015 in collaboration with the China Europe International Business School, CEIBS in Accra saw 22 of the staff of the bank as the second cohorts graduating after a two-year intensive training programme.
The initiative according to the CEO of the bank, Dr Alex Asmah is a succession plan and a staff quality improvement strategy to train young employees to take over from retiring staff not only in Amenfiman Rural Bank Limited but the rural banking industry as whole as well as a conscious business effort by management to build the capacity of employees.
Head of Human Resource and Administration, Mr Anthony Adu Broni, tells Business & Financial Times in an interview that the initiative seeks to address manpower challenges confronting rural and community banks, besides it is an internal system to equip employees with requisite skills to replace retiring staff.
According to him, personnel undergo a two-year training and are given coaches and mentors during the period of training as well as the opportunity to intern in some of the organizations within the industry.
One principal objective of Amenfiman Talent Academy Programme, A-TAP is to produce staff to fill a top management position anytime there is a vacancy.
The first batch of the programme that started in 2016 and graduated in 2018 saw 16 of them going through the process successfully with all of them moving on to a higher role in the business.
“This strategic initiative is good for the business because if these employees had not been trained to occupy these roles, we would have gone to the labour market to recruit from outside and this may be expensive for us,” he stressed.
Mr Adu Broni added that the bank’s objective is to become the net exporter of good quality human resources for the rural banking industry.
“…net exporter of human resource because we will be able to produce a lot of these talents who are very well dedicated and committed so that within the industry if anybody in the industry is looking for any high calibre personnel for a bank, one would come to Amenfiman Rural Bank for that service”, he explained enthusiastically.”
Second batch of A-TAP
There were three tiers in the A-TAP second batch program: Amenfiman-(TDP) Talent Development Program), Amenfiman (EMDP) Emerging Management Development Program and Amenfiman (ADP) Advanced Development Program.
The Amenfiman TDP was made up of employees that fall in the grade of G1 and G2 which are clerical and entry role level holders.
The Amenfiman EMDP are employees in the grade of G3 and G4 which are those in supervisory and lower level managerial sector.
The Amenfiman ADP is made up of employees in the grade of G5 and G6 who are senior managers, branch and other unit heads.
Twenty-two out of the 36 candidates who applied for this year’s program, qualified for selection and final enrolment.
This year, there were no candidates coming from the advanced tier (ADP), out of the twenty-two, 14 are in the TD program while the 8 in the EMD program.
All of them were inducted into the Amenfiman Talent Academy Program (A-TAP) all the 18 graduands were taken through the accelerated management program equipped with skills and competence they needed not only restricted to the banking sector but for life as well.
To qualify for the program, a candidate must have worked for at least a minimum of two years in the company and participants have an internship opportunity.
CEO of the bank, Dr Alexander Asmah says the programme has the vision of producing talents who are capable to excel and deliver at the highest level.
He congratulated the graduands for exhibiting so much seriousness with the programme because the second programme was more intensive than the first one in the bid to support the building up of Amenfiman Rural Bank.
The Ag Managing Director of ARB Apex Bank, Mr Alex Kwasi Awuah, who gave the keynote address confirmed that by witnessing the graduation of the second batch A-TAP is a confirmation that the Amenfiman Rural bank continues to occupy an enviable position as the largest rural and community bank in the country.
He mentioned that the feat of becoming the largest rural bank in the country with total assets worth more than half a billion as of June 2021 is an example worthy of emulation by sister rural banks and further advised some rural and community banks to pick a leaf from Amenfiman Rural Bank.
He cautioned the graduands to be worthy ambassadors and hold high the flag of the bank as well as the rural banking industry who would be looking out for the distinction the two year training programme has imbued in the graduating staff and dedicate all the benefits in the bank and ultimately delight their customers.
He further advised the graduands to ultimately uphold discipline and integrity which are two essential indispensable characteristic of every banker after acquiring all the degrees and experience in the banking profession.
