MANAMA, BAHRAIN – 2 August 2016 – Ithmaar Bank, a Bahrain-based Islamic retail bank, continued its long-standing tradition of hosting a summer internship programme for undergraduate students. The annual programme, part of Ithmaar Bank’s commitment to helping prepare future banking professionals, provides university students the opportunity to experience, first hand, the working environment at an Islamic bank.
This year, 35 undergraduate students mostly from universities in Bahrain participated in the two-month programme which was organised by the Bank’s Human Resources Department in coordination with the students and their universities. Participating students were placed in various departments at Ithmaar Bank including the Retail Banking; branches, Banking Operations; Administration; Remedial and Collection; Retail Support; Financial Control; Sharia Compliance; Business Development; Legal; Information Technology; and Marketing and Corporate Communications departments.
“As a regional Islamic banking pioneer, Ithmaar Bank recognises the important role it must play in supporting the community in which it operates,” said Ithmaar Bank Chief Executive Officer, Ahmed Abdul Rahim. “This is a responsibility we have always taken very seriously, and the annual Summer Internship programme is a great example as it contributes directly to helping maintain Bahrain’s position as a major financial hub in the Middle East,” he said.
“Today’s university students are tomorrow’s banking professionals and, ultimately, the industry’s leaders,” said Abdul Rahim. “Bahrain has earned itself pride of place as a key regional banking hub but, to maintain this position, we must continuously invest in our youth,” he said.
“We are delighted to be able to contribute to the development of Bahrain’s future banking leaders,” said Ithmaar Bank Head of Human Resources, Enas Rahimi. “In particular, we are pleased to help students gain the necessary skills and experiences that will help them in their banking career,” she said.
“The Summer Internship programme complements the theory taught at universities with practical, on-the-job training to help better prepare students for their employment,” said Rahimi. “The students demonstrated commitment to both learning and working during the internship and were awarded a certificate and a token cash gift,” she said.
Ithmaar Bank’s long-standing annual summer internship programme is hosted in line with the Bank’s commitment to helping develop the next generation of banking professionals. The Internship Programme offers trainees first-hand insight into the Bank’s organisational structure, as well as the key functional areas in an Islamic retail bank and an understanding of day-to-day operations. The Programme also outlines how to deal with daily challenges in real work-life situations.