UBS presses ahead with its in-house talent management programme in China, part of a trend among some major private banks in the Asian region.

UBS has opened its second university campus in China, situated at the UBS Business Solutions Center in Wuxi. 

The centre adds to the UBS University campuses in in Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore and India, and an example of how wealth managers are seeking to ramp up in-house talent development in a growing region for high net worth individuals. 

The new campus offers training and professional development programmes targeting a younger workforce with an average age of 27. An example is the Unveiling “Gen Y Mystery” workshop, which seeks to help senior management better understand and communicate with Gen-Y employees. The campus also runs an “International Talent Exchange Program” to help high-potential staff network with other UBS offices.

"The opening of another campus in China this year further demonstrates our commitment to developing local talent to support business growth. UBS's workforce in China already exceeds 1,000 and we are well on track to achieve our objective of doubling headcount here by 2020," Eugene QIAN, chairman of UBS China Strategy Board, said.

The Swiss bank said since UBS-BSC China started its operation in Wuxi last year, it has expanded the team to 300 employees, adding services such as robotics and big data development. 

For the second year, UBS and Fudan University have jointly rolled out the Finance Certificate and Scholarship Program which provides local talent with international insight, professional knowledge and practical skills. 

Talent management in the Asian wealth industry continues to expand, as local and international firms seek to keep pace with demand from a rising affluent middle class. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the Private Wealth Management Associations are widening an apprenticeship programme to develop talent in Asia, responding to “overwhelming” demand. This news service has an overview of talent management programmes issued by organisations around the world aimed at post-graduates and other groups. That item is regularly updated and readers are most welcome to submit data on new courses and programmes. Email the editor at tom.burroughes@wealthbriefing.com