Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/187071
43 Events maltatoday, SUNDAY, 6 OCTOBER 2013 BOV launches Graduate Development Programme for its employees Bank of Valletta launched the BOV Graduate Development Programme, aimed to give its graduate employees the opportunity to gain a strategic understanding of the organisation, as well as practical experience about the various functions within the Bank. Through the programme, BOV graduate employees will be better positioned to understand the different career paths that are available within the institution and prepare themselves accordingly. The Graduate Development Programme, which forms an integral part of the Bank's well-established Training Academy, will be facilitated through a series of practical oriented, management development workshops, enhanced through attachments in different business ar- eas of the Bank as well as with foreign banks. Employees' response was overwhelming, so much so that it was necessary to divide applicants into three groups. The first group of 21 participants was welcomed on the programme by the BOV Chairman John Cassar White and CEO Charles Borg during the introductory briefing session held at BOV Centre. Speaking during the launch, Cassar White congratulated the participants on this important milestone in their career, "Professional education can only provide the foundations of knowledge, skills and attitudes on which further development must take place if professionals are to remain current and competent. This programme will focus primarily on developing managerial skills, namely strategy, teamwork and problem solving, that are essential skills to acquire in order to be an asset for the organisation and for the team one is responsible for. Continuous development is all about constantly updating our skills throughout our working life. This is an essential part of professional life not an optional extra!" While applauding the participants, Charles Borg said, "The importance of ongoing training in today's dynamic financial services world cannot be overemphasised. The new Graduate Development Programme will give you a deep, hands-on experience. You will be able to work on live projects and get on and offthe-job training. It all combines to show how the different parts of our business interact, and give you access to an active support network of line managers and HR professions. Through this Programme, you'll be much better equipped to make the right decisions for your career development." He concluded by saying, "Bank of Valletta continuously strives to cultivate the optimal environment for its people to grow and reach higher. This Programme is yet another instance of how the Bank strives to be the employer of choice for its people." Emirates facilitates business relations with Gulf and Middle East In a continuous effort to promote and facilitate new business opportunities between international markets, Emirates, one of the world's fastest-growing airlines, is extending its support to the newly set up Middle East Business Council (MEBC) within the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry. MEBC aims to establish stronger commercial and business linkages between Malta and the GCC countries including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Middle East countries. The MEBC is establishing links with stakeholders in the region, including Chambers of Commerce, the respective Maltese diplomatic corps and Malta Enterprise regional leaders, as well as businesses with Maltese links established in the region so as to ensure that a vibrant network is sustained in Malta and in GCC states. Emirates will be providing logistical support to the keynote speaker, Dr Ahmed Abdul Rahman Al Banna, CEO of Dubarch Architectural Engineer Interior Design Consultancy, who will be delivering the keynote speech during MEBC's official launch ceremony. This event is being held on Thursday, 10 October at SmartCity Malta. Dr Al Banna is a board member in the Arab Union for International Exhibitions & Conferences and a former Deputy Director General of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry. An enterprising and highly networked entrepreneur, he held positions of renowned regional and international institutions such as the Dubai Quality Group, Arab Union for International Exhibition and Conferences (AUIEC), American Arbitration Association, among others. His experience led him to venture into the engineering, construction and interior design industry and today he heads DUBARCH, a multidisciplinary engineering and interior design firm with a global presence, while he also holds the chairmanship of Technosteel. Paul Fleri Soler, Emirates Manager for Malta, said: "With the establishment of the Middle East Business Council, Emirates is anticipating that the very good business relations with the Gulf region take another qualitative leap forward. This is in line with Malta's renewed aspirations to develop even stronger and further mutually beneficial business relations with Arab countries," Held at SmartCity Malta, the largest foreign direct investment in the ICT and media sectors in Malta, the ceremony includes addresses by the President of the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry Mr David G. Curmi; Middle East Business Council Chairman Mr Tonio Casapinta; SmartCity Malta CEO Mr Anthony Tabone and Institutional Affairs Manager at Malta Enterprise Mr Clive Brockdoff. The event will be concluded by the Minister for the Economy, Investment and Small Businesses Dr Chris Cardona. "With the newly established Middle East Business Council serving as a common platform, we can look Vodafone Malta connects families through Vodafone RED Vodafone Malta has just launched a new innovative family plan. This is another first from Vodafone, whereby customers can get Vodafone RED for family members by joining a family plan. Customers subscribed to the Vodafone RED plans can add family members up to a maximum of three additional members per household. The additional members get all the benefits of the RED plan at a 30% discount on the monthly access fee. Benefits of the new RED Family Plan include a subsidy on a device or a discount on the access fee for the head member of the family, whilst additional members can get the Vodafone Smart An- droid from as little as €59. The whole family will be on a two-year agreement. "Our RED plans come with worry-free calls, SMS and ample internet on your mobile allowance, thus making communication much more simple for you and the rest of your family," said Georgiana Agius, Marketing Senior Executive at Vodafone Malta. "We wanted to extend this concept to families nationwide and therefore came up with this new plan. Thanks to the discounts with RED Family, everyone can now be on Vodafone RED!" Vodafone Red is a complete service package that brings some- thing new to the Maltese market. With RED, Vodafone introduced a worry free concept to all their pay monthly customers with plans ranging from €35 to €99.99. Apart from the allowances for local usage, customers can also benefit from Vodafone Traveller whilst abroad in EU Countries, including Turkey and Switzerland. For more information on the RED plans, visit any Vodafone store across Malta and Gozo, call 247 for free from a Vodafone line, 99999247 from any other line or log onto www.vodafone.com.mt/ red SAVE 35% ON ALL YOUR FIXED COMMUNICATION SERVICES W: WWW.OZONE.COM.MT | T: +356 2010 1000 forward to creating new business prospects and commercial relations in our neighbouring regions. In this regard, Emirates airline is already providing an essential gateway to the East and a vital logistical link through its world class services and products. MEBC will raise awareness in the region about Malta, especially as a gateway to North Africa and a bridge to the EU, in order to become the natural focal point for incoming businessmen and institutions visiting from the GCC region," said Tonio Casapinta. The inauguration ceremony is being supported by SmartCity Malta, Emirates, The Malta Chamber of Commerce Enterprise and Industry, Malta Enterprise, and the Consulate General of Malta-Dubai. More information about the Middle East Business Council of the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry is available at www. mebc.org.mt