More than 13,000 NAB employees have completed the ‘Career Qualified in Banking’ program, marking a major milestone for the bank as it works towards professional accreditation of its workforce.

Career Qualified in Banking covers the fundamentals of the banking industry and is designed to build NAB employees skills, capabilities and confidence to best serve customers. The program has been developed and delivered in partnership with the Financial Services Institute of Australasia (FINSIA) and gives graduates a globally recognised financial services accreditation.

NAB Docklands Branch Manager Catherine Nguyen has joined NAB CEO Ross McEwan and the entire NAB Executive Leadership Team as one of the 13,000 Career Qualified in Banking graduates. Since passing the program in mid-2022, Ms Nguyen said the learnings have been invaluable in supporting her customers, especially those experiencing vulnerability.

“The content of the course has been helpful when it comes to dealing with vulnerable customers. For example, by developing further understanding of the regulatory environment and the governing bodies that apply to our sector, when dealing with someone experiencing vulnerability, I have a strong understanding of which governing body this would sit with, and what resources are available for this customer,” Ms Nguyen said.

“The Ethics and Professionalism chapter of the program was powerful in terms of being able to approach any conversation confidently. If you are dealing with a customer experiencing vulnerability, there can be a lot of emotion that comes with that, and the course equips you with the ability to see different perspectives. So you can put the customer first, understand where they’re coming from and you can help them as much as you can today – but you’re also thinking about how you can educate and support them for the long term.”

Using new skills to support and empower teams

Catherine joined NAB five years ago and leads a team of seven bankers at the Docklands branch. She said the knowledge and skills gained via the Career Qualified in Banking program enables her to support and empower her team.

“I didn’t come from a banking background and Career Qualified in Banking has allowed me to step up my knowledge base when conversing with customers and my colleagues. When you truly understand why something is the way it is, you can communicate it effectively,” she said.

“This means I can support my team in their conversations and empower them to have confident conversations with customers too.

“We’ve got a couple of graduates in our team and while the rest of the team work towards their qualification, we’re here to support them.”

Better for customers

NAB Group Executive People and Culture Susan Ferrier said she was proud of the discipline shown by NAB employees in completing the program and the impact it was having on customers.

“One-third of our workforce has attained this globally recognised financial services accreditation. The course is very comprehensive and requires a significant level of commitment and study, and I am proud of how our people have risen to the challenge,” Ms Ferrier said.

“Our colleagues are taking the learnings, skills and confidence they achieve through the program back into their roles in the bank and it is having an impact.

“The overwhelming feedback from Career Qualified in Banking graduates is that the program is relevant to their roles, no matter where in the business they work, and it is empowering them to better serve their customers, and better support their colleagues and teams.”