HSBC recently conducted soft skills workshops for 50 University students who are part of the Banks ‘Undergraduate Scholarship Programme’ launched in January 2008, with the Association for Lighting a Candle (AFLAC International). The workshops were conducted by HSBC’s Training team.

The Undergraduate Scholarship Programme aims to uplift the lives of one hundred underprivileged university students. The programme is open to all undergraduates studying in any national university and is in need of financial assistance to complete their higher education. To-date, the Bank has awarded 100 scholarships with the final batch of 25 handed out in October 2008.

The workshops conducted by the Bank cover important aspects of leadership, communications, teamwork, motivation and positive attitude. The sessions planned for the future will include a range of activities from mock interviews and CV writing to organising visits to leading corporates. Another key element of this programme is that the students are given opportunities to meet and interact with the senior staff of HSBC who enlighten them on their responsibilities at HSBC and what it means to work for a global financial services organisation.

A four year mentoring programme was launched simultaneously. In this programme HSBC staff members are assigned to mentor and guide students on an ongoing basis, to develop the right skills required to succeed in a competitive job market.