UOB rolls out initiative to help employees upskill in use of AI to do more and be faster

SINGAPORE – UOB introduced an initiative on Oct 1 to equip employees with foundational generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) and automation skills to enhance productivity.

Singapore’s third-largest bank by assets is also developing talent to take on advanced digital roles such as data science.

Speaking at UOB Plaza in Raffles Place on Oct 1, UOB chief executive Wee Ee Cheong said employees must stay ahead with their skill sets in an ever-changing world.

“Technology disruptions are transforming the way we work. We must reskill, upskill and adapt continuously. With the use of AI, our people can do more and do it faster.

“It could also bridge knowledge gaps to help reduce anxiety when our people pivot to a new role,” he said.

“At the same time, our people must also have the responsibility to continuously upskill and reskill so that they can better contribute.”

His comments came as the bank signed a memorandum of understanding with the Institute of Banking and Finance (IBF), Workforce Singapore (WSG) and Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) to help on this front.

The initiative is expected to help arm the bank’s employees with the necessary skills and adoption strategies to tap Gen AI to drive productivity and operational efficiency.

Under the MOU, UOB will partner IBF to develop industry-recognised, IBF-accredited training programmes aligned to the Skills Framework for Financial Services in areas such as Gen AI, digital literacy and data fluency, and access training subsidies.

The bank has also introduced AI prompt-crafting workshops, which have been accredited by IBF, so that employees can learn how to harness the AI tool for productivity gains in their daily work.

IBF will also continue to support UOB in job redesign and the future-proofing of employees by combining technical training with structured career development plans. The bank will work with the IBF career advisory team to develop employee initiatives to support career growth and resilience.

UOB will work with WSG to develop employee initiatives that support career growth and agility, aligned with the Career Health SG initiative.

This includes tapping WSG’s Career Conversion Programme to redesign jobs most impacted by technology and AI and to develop career plans that support the development and reskilling of employees to take on new growth job roles.

UOB and NP will collaborate on embedding behavioural prompts into the learning journey and measuring their effectiveness. This will be a use case for NP’s research and curriculum development.

UOB’s head of group human resources Dean Tong said AI will help employees focus on higher-value work and bridge knowledge gaps.

“AI is a powerful enabler which not only empowers our people to focus on higher-value work that requires judgment, creativity and critical thinking, but also helps to bridge any knowledge gaps and gives them the confidence to try out new roles.”

The new initiative will build on the bank’s existing efforts such as the Better U Pivot programme – which helps employees reskill and transition into roles in growth areas through personalised skills assessments and structured career pathways.

The bank’s new innovation academy will also develop and make available to all employees courses in AI, data and blockchain.

Mr Ivan Aw, vice-president for segments insights and digital engagement in private banking, said the Better U Pivot programme gave him the confidence to transition to his current role.

The 50-year-old previously worked in sales management roles for cards and insurance.

Participants like Mr Aw received mentorship from coaches and hiring managers, who provided guidance and support for those adjusting to their new roles.

“It’s something I appreciate. It’s not a generic training programme where everyone just attends. They actually go down to the granular level to understand what the new role requires, and, from there, they will recommend some training courses for you to attend so that you can address those gaps.

“That has helped me reskill quickly to (undertake) my new role,” said Mr Aw, whose work involves creating and orchestrating campaigns to increase digital engagement for private banking clients.

Through the training, he developed skills in visualisation of campaign results as well as data analytics to analyse the campaigns’ performance. He also received training on using Gen AI tools to become more productive and better transition into his current role.

He now taps Gen AI tools like Copilot to do tasks such as personalising content specific to each client, summarising a 100-page report and interpreting data.

He added that such tools are now integral to his day-to-day work. “I cannot live without them,” he said.