Tech Lead: Building High-Tech and High-Touch Talents
By: Isiah Beltrano
UnionBank, a multi-awarded Philippines universal bank, expanded its graduate program, L.E.A.D. (Leader Executive Accelerated Development) Program by introducing TechLEAD – a program focused on developing technical talent to become leaders of tomorrow.
The traditional LEAD Program is a fast-track and accelerated program designed to provide the LEAD management trainee or LEADs with training and job experiences within 6 to 7 years, enabling them to make a maximum contribution to the organization and attain personal career goals. The program prepares the LEAD Management Trainee for the next significant step-up in the organization. In the program, LEADs undergo a 24-month rotation within the Specialization Area to include end-to-end processes, i.e., front, middle, and back offices. Their people leading and managing skills are developed. The program’s success led to the Bank expanding the program that will focus on technology, data science, and other tech-related disciplines.
It was established to fulfill the Bank’s Digital Leadership Pipeline needs by establishing a pool of specialists who can support the Bank’s transformation and are well-positioned to take on enhanced and extended roles in the future.
Tech LEADs will participate in a 12-month development program that will cover diverse areas of technology and data science while also establishing business skills and leadership foundations through blended learning interventions. The tech leaders will also be exposed to industry certifications to validate their knowledge and set the framework for a successful career in technology.
The first two and a half months of the Tech LEAD Learning Journey will be spent exploring U.B.’s Ways of Working and becoming acquainted with the U.B. Technical Landscape and other I.T. Processes. This will be enhanced with training in banking fundamentals and effective communication.
At the start of 2022, the Tech LEADs will be subjected to more advanced courses based on their tracks, including those leading to their respective certificates.
Paying I.T. Forward, a C.S.R. activity to design and teach courses for our Xcellerator program, lead an adopted community, or conduct training for your internal teams, will be saved for the last stage of their learning journey.
The Tech LEAD Program is the Bank’s equivalent to the award-winning LEAD Management Trainee Program, started in 2009 and now has about 79 LEAD MTs.
“We are developing future Data Scientists, Information Security Managers, Digital Delivery Leads and future Flow Masters, Software Developers, Cloud Engineers, and Architects who will eventually become DevSecOps Engineers, as well as UX and CX Designers. Furthermore, you will be going through fast-tracked learning pathways and taking industry certifications in preparation for expanded and enhanced jobs, some of which I just mentioned, and all of which are essential to the Bank’s efforts of truly BEING digital.” – Catherine Ann A. Santiago
With the tech lead program, Unionbank is confident that, Sharing, teaching, and learning are all aspects of leadership. And most significantly, our culture promotes self-directed, lifelong learning.
UnionBank resources will use Pluralsight for technical training and content from Unionbank University and Xcellerator for the 10% education. UnionBank will also leverage its connections with A.W.S., Microsoft, and VMWare to provide specialized courses, maximizing relationships to help the students unleash their inner potential.
Finally, the team is also distributing core leadership courses across the students’ learning path because, without them, this might just as well be called a conventional tech upskilling program. UnionBank hopes that the students will continue learning and exploring beyond the 12-month program.
The tech LEAD program is beneficial and genuinely is a state-of-the-art, hyper personalized program that will develop and build High-tech and High-touch talents that will pave the way and evolve the future of banking and technology. UnionBank of the Philippines devotes itself to continuously redefining banking and constantly finding a way to improve the improved.