Staff of Absa Bank Ghana last Friday interacted with the teachers and students of Holy Trinity Cathedral Senior High School as part of its Skills Training Programme (STP).
The STP, among others, is to build the capacity of the youth to create their own businesses.
Some staff of the bank, particularly officials of the Legal and Compliance Department, joined the exercise, which formed part of a long-term plan by Absa Bank to create impact in the communities where the bank operates.
Officials of the bank told the students interesting tales about their backgrounds and how they rose, against all odds, to become reputable professionals in the bank.
Legal Officer of Absa Bank, Sophia Haikins-Adarkwa, outlined the rudimentary steps in becoming a legal and compliant professional.
“I was born in Nima and sold bread as a hawker,” one of the employees began as he readied himself to engage the students. Even behind the masked faces, it was obvious the expressions of shock and disbelief on their faces.
The Managing Director of Absa Bank Ghana, Abena Osei-Poku, said the bank’s unique role in society complemented its long history in Ghana and highlighted the bank’s winning strategy.
“Multinational organisations like Absa Bank operate with a focus on high financial performance and a commitment to impacting the communities where it operates. It places great emphasis on initiatives such as youth skills training and development to empower emerging leaders. These are soft skills that complement its core commercial mandate and endears the brand to stakeholders and the society,” she said.
Mrs Osei-Poku said banks “must stand for something where it operates and Absa Bank clearly leads the way in Ghana when it comes to that.”
“We bring possibilities to life – for our clients, customers, stakeholders and the society. A big organisation like ours believes in operating with a conscience. It is not enough to execute our strategy, experience growth and transformation. We believe it is a higher purpose if we can also demonstrate real impact by what we do in society. Our social responsibility brings this to life in a unique way,” Mrs Osei-Poku said.