​About PBIG-BEN 


The “Build, Encourage, Nurture” talent development initiative (PBIG-BEN) is spearheaded by the Private Banking Industry Group (PBIG) in Singapore, to groom local talent for in-demand roles in private banks, and enhance the employability and job readiness of students entering the workforce. Launched in December 2020, PBIG-BEN aims to offer 200 undergraduate traineeship positions at the PBIG member banks over three years

​Traineeship Details 

1. PBIG-BEN Advantage

Unlike regular internships, PBIG-BEN is fundamentally designed to provide a longer traineeship period, that would allow banks to put in place more meaningful structured on-the-job training, to complement trainees’ academic curriculum. The advantage of such an arrangement is threefold.

  • ✔ First, empowering students to be job-ready upon graduation, as they acquire deep, work-relevant skills through applying their academic knowledge within a structured on-the-job training programme.
  • ✔ Second, offering students an immersive experience working with the banks, where they can gain meaningful early exposure to the banks’ values and culture, and glean valuable insights to the banks’ actual operations.
  • ✔ Third, improving the chances of job placement for students through the extended exposure, as the banks get more time to train prospective hires and evaluate their performance.

​2. Eligibility 

The initiative is open to undergraduates from the following Work-Study Degree Programmes offered by Singapore Management University (SMU), National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU). Qualifying undergraduates will be trained in participating private banks for in-demand roles such as relationship or product managers, data analysts, business risk managers and cybersecurity analysts.
  • SMU Bachelor of Science (Software Engineering)
  • NUS Bachelor of Computing (Information Security)
  • NUS Bachelor of Science (Business Analytics)
  • NTU Bachelor of Business

3. Programme Structure 

Trainees are required to complete a traineeship period with the bank that makes up at least 30 per cent of the university programme duration. The rest of their time will be spent completing the academic curriculum at the universities. 

Participating universities and PBIG member banks will co-design the curriculum, and there is flexibility for them to adopt a model that is best suited to deliver the curriculum. For example, the curriculum could take the form of a hybrid study and work model throughout the programme duration, or distinct periods designated for each segment. 

4. Funding 

Participating PBIG member banks will receive funding support from the Work-Study Support Programme (WSSP).

​How to apply

Students who are interested may contact their respective programme coordinators at the universities.

SMU

​About the Private Banking Industry Group

The Private Banking Industry Group (PBIG) comprises senior industry leaders and representatives from the private banking industry. It was re-constituted from the Private Banking Advisory Group in 2011, with the support of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to further strengthen the competency and market conduct standards of the private banking industry in Singapore.

The PBIG is currently co-chaired by MAS and UBS AG. The PBIG Executive Committee comprises The Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) and 14 banks (Bank Julius Baer, Bank Pictet & Cie, Bank of Singapore, BNP Paribas, Citibank, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, DBS, HSBC, JP Morgan, LGT Bank Singapore, Standard Chartered Bank, UBS AG and UOB).