A PILOT programme to hire and train those aged 45 and above to assist POSB customers, especially seniors, has been so successful that the bank is doubling the number of people on it.
This was announced yesterday at a recognition ceremony for the first batch of 60 participants of the POSB Active Neighbours programme.
It is one of three key initiatives under an agreement between POSB and the Council for Third Age (C3A): hiring elderly workers, providing financial education and giving privileges to seniors.
Some 1,200 applied for the 60 positions offered earlier this year. Successful applicants underwent a three-day training workshop and have been working since July.
The participants, mostly retirees or full-time housewives, work up to 10 hours a week - mostly on Saturdays - for $8 an hour.
Their job includes combing the queues to find out what transactions customers want to perform at POSB branches and directing people with simple transactions to automated machines and assisting them.
They also help elderly customers with transactions, filling in forms and using bank technology like ATMs.
Mr Rajan Raju, the head of DBS Bank's Consumer Banking Group, said the programme had made elderly customers feel more comfortable with dealing with the bank.
He also said that many of the Active Neighbours are so involved with their jobs that they have asked to work longer hours, and that the bank would look into this.
Next year, it will train some of them to conduct some financial literacy workshops for seniors.
Madam Betty Lee, who had 17 years' experience in customer service before her retirement, is among the Active Neighbours.
She works at the bank's Suntec City branch on Saturdays, serving everyone from executives to the mall's cleaners.
Said the 62-year-old: 'I enjoy meeting all these people. All these customers come from all walks of life and their needs are so diversified.'
Speaking at the event yesterday, the guest of honour, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Lim Boon Heng, noted that Singapore still has some way to go to hit its 2012 target of having 65 per cent of the people in the 55 to 64 age group employed.
Mr Lim, who is in charge of ageing issues, said later that many smaller companies seem to be waiting for new laws, or for others to take the lead, before acting.
But he hoped examples of what companies like POSB have done will encourage other firms.
C3A's chairman, Mr Gerard Ee, said of the bank's initiative: 'It tells people it is okay at 67 to go back to work. It's exciting, it's fun. It tells other employers this is the way to do it as well, that there are people in this age group who can be an important asset.'
Those interested in applying to be Active Neighbours can visit any POSB branch from tomorrow.
Those who applied in the past need not do so again, as the bank will review their applications.
- The Straits Times
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