To mark Teachers’ Day, Bank DBS Indonesia promotes sustainable education in Indonesia

Indonesia.24 Nov 2023
Indonesia, 24 Nov 2023 - Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Kemdikbudristek) 2022 data shows that 13.33 percent of university graduates are still unemployed. Of the total, 235,559 are college graduates with vocational skills and 884,759 college graduates with academic degrees. With around 1.7 million students graduating every year, there are many potential young leaders who need to develop their leadership skills before entering the professional world.

In the spirit of Indonesia's National Teachers' Day, Bank DBS Indonesia has joined the effort to improve education in Indonesia as a manifestation of its commitment to creating a positive impact beyond banking. This is in accordance with Bank DBS Indonesia's third sustainability pillar, Impact Beyond Banking.

To realise its commitment to promoting education in Indonesia, Bank DBS Indonesia has launched a number of programmes and initiatives, including:

DBS Berpijar
Through the programme, Bank DBS Indonesia’s employees act as informal teachers to teach online courses in future-ready skills to around 1,119 students from 439 universities in Indonesia. The subjects in the courses include Digital Leadership Skills, Organisational Culture, and Social Impact.

In 2022, the programme was held in partnership with Pijar Foundation. This year, Bank DBS Indonesia continued the collaboration under the theme "Transformational Leadership: Building a Strong Foundation for the Future Society". There are two main phases in the collaboration, namely DBS Berpijar Academy, a teaching programme through live podcasts, and DBS Impact Report, which is used to report project results. The activity is in line with the “Merdeka Belajar-Kampus Merdeka” (Freedom to Learn) programme initiated by the  Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology.

DBS Foundation Coding Camp
Bank DBS Indonesia and DBS Foundation also incorporated coding classes into the "DBS Foundation Coding Camp 2023" programme to help students and teachers improve their digital knowledge through the scholarships provided by DBS Foundation. These coding classes give participants the opportunity to learn more about Back-End Development and DevOps Engineering to equip the next generation with good digital skills.

So far, 52,390 participants and 32,457 graduates have joined the online courses, including 2,384 teachers from Java, Sumatra and Papua. The programme also provides equivalency certificates for participants who want to continue their careers in information technology (IT).

Green Savings account to support education in remote areas of Indonesia
Through the Green Savings account, Bank DBS Indonesia encourages customers to actively participate in supporting teachers and improving national education by setting aside a percentage of the interest on their savings to be donated to Yayasan Tangan Pengharapan (YTP). The donation will be used to provide adequate school facilities, such as computers in Sumba, Kupang, Atambua, as well as early childhood education (PAUD) educational tools on the islands of Halmahera, West Kalimantan, Sumba, Papua, Merauke, and surrounding areas.

The Green Savings product demonstrates Bank DBS Indonesia's commitment to its first sustainability pillar, Responsible Banking, with a focus on providing responsible banking products, as well as the third pillar, Impact Beyond Banking, to create a positive impact on the wider public.

People of Purpose employee volunteer programme
Bank DBS Indonesia’s employees are required to share their knowledge with the community, students, business partners, and colleagues through the "People of Purpose" programme. As part of the programme, Bank DBS Indonesia organises "Kedai Belajar", a financial literacy activity to teach basic bookkeeping, financial management, and business capital formation to more than 200 MSMEs in Makassar and Balikpapan.

Meetings were held to share information and exchange knowledge, much to the appreciation of the participants. Garbage collectors in Jabodetabek managed by Waste4Change, for example, have received training on financial literacy that can ensure their business sustainability. In addition, on a separate occasion, DBS Bank Indonesia’s employees provided financial literacy education for residents of Setu Babakan, Jakarta, and surrounding areas, specifically targeting housewives, with subjects ranging from budget management, basic investment, debt, financial risk management, emergency fund management, and digital finance.

"As teachers and educators are at the front end of the development of high-quality human resources and future leaders, we believe their role is very important. We are grateful for the opportunity to work with many partners who share the same goal: improving education in Indonesia through efficient, profitable, and accessible programmes. We hope these programmes will produce future leaders who are educated, insightful, and adaptive to change. This is part of Bank DBS Indonesia's contribution to more sustainable education," Head of Group Strategic Marketing and Communications at PT Bank DBS Indonesia Mona Monika said.

For more information about DBS Berpijar and DBS Foundation Coding Camp, visit DBS Foundation Coding Camp Website and Instagram @dbsfoundationid.



About DBS
DBS is a leading financial services group in Asia with a presence in 19 markets. Headquartered and listed in Singapore, DBS is in the three key Asian axes of growth: Greater China, Southeast Asia and South Asia. The bank's "AA-" and "Aa1" credit ratings are among the highest in the world.

Recognised for its global leadership, DBS has been named “World’s Best Bank” by Global Finance, “World’s Best Bank” by Euromoney and “Global Bank of the Year” by The Banker. The bank is at the forefront of leveraging digital technology to shape the future of banking, having been named “World’s Best Digital Bank” by Euromoney and the world’s “Most Innovative in Digital Banking” by The Banker. In addition, DBS has been accorded the “Safest Bank in Asia” award by Global Finance for 15 consecutive years from 2009 to 2023.

DBS provides a full range of services in consumer, SME and corporate banking. As a bank born and bred in Asia, DBS understands the intricacies of doing business in the region’s most dynamic markets.

DBS is committed to building lasting relationships with customers, as it banks the Asian way. Through the DBS Foundation, the bank creates impact beyond banking by supporting social enterprises: businesses with a double bottom-line of profit and social and/or environmental impact. DBS Foundation also gives back to society in various ways, including equipping communities with future-ready skills and building food resilience.

With its extensive network of operations in Asia and emphasis on engaging and empowering its staff, DBS presents exciting career opportunities. For more information, please visit www.dbs.com.