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United Overseas Bank (UOB) (Thai) today announced it has partnered with Thammasat Business School (TBS) to launch a tertiary education programme for small business bankers.

Small businesses form the backbone of Thailand’s economy, accounting for 95 per cent of the country’s businesses and 41 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product. To ensure their continued growth, 63 per cent of Thai small businesses said they plan to expand overseas in the next three to five years, according to the UOB Asian Enterprise Survey 2016.

As Thailand’s small businesses expand into new markets, they may face many challenges including international trade risk, unfamiliarity with local investment and labour regulations or accessing to increased working capital.

The three-month UOB-TBS Banker’s Executive Certification Programme combines classroom-based study with practical skills training, particularly in the areas of credit and risk management, regional regulatory frameworks, trade financing, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) business models and client management. Upon completion of the programme, UOB bankers will be better equipped to help Thai SMEs with their business needs and the challenges they face.

Ms Sayumrat Maranate, Head of Business Banking, UOB (Thai), said UOB is equipping its bankers with the in-depth knowledge and skills to support customers as they grow their business.

“We expect a greater number of our SME customers to seize opportunities abroad in expanding their businesses. As a result, their banking and business needs will change as they juggle between managing their day-to-day operations at home while growing their businesses overseas. SMEs need bankers with specialist skills, people who understand what it takes to do business across borders, whether it is managing foreign exchange risk or navigating the regulatory landscape in different markets. This is why the UOB-TBS Banker’s Executive Certification Programme is timely, important and progressive as graduates will develop the skills necessary to help SMEs prepare for the future,” Ms Sayumrat said.

Dean of Thammasat Business School, Thammasat University, Dr. Pipop Udorn said that the school is pleased to be working with UOB (Thai) on this innovative programme for SME bankers.

“The UOB-TBS Banker’s Executive Certification Programme is designed to provide participants with a comprehensive syllabus. The programme will be taught by specialists within our university faculty who each have more than 10 years of experience at Thailand’s renowned financial institutions. The training will enable participants to gain knowledge by exposing them to topical case studies and panel discussions with successful entrepreneurs. UOB (Thai) is raising the standard in the industry with the launch of this programme,” he said.

The UOB-TBS Banker’s Executive Certification Programme is part of UOB’s career leadership development programme to encourage continuous training and skills development among its employees. The bank expects to train 25 small business bankers by the end of this year.