FINANCIAL SECTOR WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES AND IMPROVING SERVICE QUALITY

Standardising the professional competency acquisition process, consumer protection through high qualifications of the sector s employees, increasing the safety of financial transactions and a higher level of competitiveness of Polish financiers on the domestic and European market - these are the key challenges for the Sectoral Council for Competencies in the Financial Sector. 

The financial sector, as one of the six sectors of the Polish economy, is starting a pioneering project aimed at assuring better matching of competencies of bankers and financiers with new market trends and customer expectations.
The project was initiated through a partnership between the Warsaw Banking Institute, the Polish Bank Association and the Polish Chamber of Insurance, and is implemented under the Operational Programme Knowledge Education Development 2014-2020. In total, 25 entities are represented in the Council, including commercial and cooperative banks, industry organisations, higher education institutions and training companies.

"In the financial sector s case, the establishment and activities of the Council will make it possible for the entire financial sector to integrate better within the changing landscape of financial services and the needs of bank customers. This will also make it possible for financial institutions to more effectively prepare for new market trends and regulations, and to constantly improve the quality of services and customer service in banks by building trust relationships between the financial advisor and customer," said Krzysztof Pietraszkiewicz, President of the Polish Bank Association and Chairman of the Council.
The Sectoral Council for Competencies, acting as a representative of the sector, wants to join in the new, transparent and coherent qualifications system being created in Poland and the European Union, which will facilitate communication between labour market participants and help in implementing the idea of ​​lifelong learning thanks to defined competencies. As indicated by the Councils initiators, the rate of adult participation in lifelong learning in Poland is worryingly
low. The European Union has set a 2020 target value for this indicator at 15%. Currently, the average for EU countries is 10.7%, while in Poland last year it was only at 3.5% (Eurostat data). New tools of the developed system: The European Qualifications Framework, the Polish Qualifications Framework, as well as sectoral qualifications frameworks will help people in lifelong development.
"Adults need to learn in order to adapt their skills to employers requirements in a rapidly changing work environment. Higher education institutions and training companies have to respond to these needs effectively and in a timely manner. The competencies and qualifications of financial sector employees must be well thought out, clearly described, confirmed and updated. The Sectoral Council for Competencies in the Financial Sector will act as the catalyst for these processes," said Mariola Szymańska–Koszczyc, the President of the Warsaw Banking Institute and the Council s Organiser.