NBK organizes course for special needs students

KUWAIT: As part of the ongoing drive to discharge its CSR towards all segments of society, especially the people with special needs, National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) announced the successful completion of a training program for the special needs students of Dasman School, with the aim of encouraging them to receive training and engage in the banking business experience.

The program that ran for two weeks at the Domestic Branches Department, focused on familiarizing participants with work nature in branches, as well as the basics and mechanisms of the banking business. It also aimed to provide a comprehensive and supportive environment for students with special needs, allowing them to acquire real-world knowledge, and develop essential skills to be more familiar with the future labor market. The program witnessed active participation by students in the various activities and assignments, which were carefully designed to suit their abilities and interests.

They also had the opportunity to gain practical experience in the Domestic Branches Department. During the program, NBK staff worked closely with the students, providing them with guidance, and support throughout the training journey with the aim of deepening their understanding of the banking industry and building their confidence in the work environment. Upon completion of the course, the participating students from Dasman School visited NBK to receive their certificates, in a ceremony attended by the executive management, who praised the students for showing enthusiasm, determination and achieving progress during the program.

On this occasion, Mr Emad Al-Ablani, GM – Group Human Resources at NBK said: “We are very proud to host the special needs students of Dasman School and to give them the opportunity to learn and grow, and help them build their future career path.” “We believe in the potential of every individual in our society, and this program reflects our keenness to promote inclusion and provide equal opportunities for all segments of society, including the cherished segment of people with special needs,” he added, “NBK leads the way in extending all sorts of support to people with special needs by developing services and providing the necessary facilities to allow them easy access to the designated branches,” he noted.

“We also provide ATMs equipped with Braille keyboards and headphones, allowing visually impaired customers to make withdrawals,” he elaborated. It is worth mentioning that NBK is the first bank to have trained employees at all branches to provide services in sign language to hearing-impaired customers. It also offers iPads with speech-to-text functionality for visually impaired customers, as well as wheelchair access to branches, and reserved, clearly marked parking spaces for special needs customers. It also adopts a policy for recruiting people with special needs, in cooperation with the Public Authority for Disabled Affairs (PADA) and the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM).