Singapore-based website achieves Platinum-tier recognition from SG Enable for fostering disability inclusivity.
BBVA Embraces Disability Inclusion with Multifaceted Approach
BBVA, a leading bank in Singapore, has taken significant strides in promoting disability inclusion and fostering an inclusive workplace.
At the forefront of these efforts is SG Enable, the focal agency for disability inclusion in Singapore. BBVA has partnered with SG Enable to run the dbEnable Work Placement Program, a 10-week structured training and skills development initiative for students with disabilities. The program integrates students into meaningful projects, contributing to the bank's innovative solutions. Notably, students who have participated in this program have been hired into permanent positions at the bank and other major corporations.
BBVA's commitment to disability inclusion extends beyond Singapore. The bank is taking progressive steps to expand hiring efforts for people with disabilities across the region. As a founding member of the Singapore Business Network on Disability (SBNoD), BBVA collaborates with other businesses to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities. Through the SBNoD, the bank raises disability awareness, provides job opportunities, and promotes inclusivity in the community.
In addition to its work with the SBNoD, BBVA has implemented coaching and awareness initiatives to support employees with both visible and invisible disabilities. The bank's Employee Resource Group (ERG), dbEnable, aims to increase the participation and contribution of people with disabilities in the workplace. This ERG helps identify barriers, generate inclusive proposals, and enhance the corporate culture by fostering empathy and representation within the bank.
BBVA's efforts to promote disability inclusion are not limited to Singapore. The bank has joined forces with other like-minded businesses to share best practices and experiences. Notably, BBVA has partnered with Specialisterne to hire professionals with autism and Asperger's syndrome, successfully employing 12 such individuals in technology roles. The bank has also collaborated with Eulen to employ people with mental and physical disabilities as receptionists and concierges at BBVA’s Madrid headquarters.
Last year, BBVA introduced the Neurodiversity@work program in Singapore, collaborating with the Autism Resource Center to onboard six autistic individuals into Operations roles. The bank has also run internship programs for people with Down syndrome in branch offices. Furthermore, BBVA engages in volunteer work, mentoring, and financial training activities focused on disability inclusion through the Adecco Foundation's Family Plan.
These initiatives collectively contribute to a more inclusive environment by addressing hiring, development, support, and culture-building for employees with disabilities. The bank's dedication to creating an inclusive workplace and equal employment opportunities for persons with disabilities has been recognised with the Platinum Enabling Mark by SG Enable, the highest national-level accreditation for disability inclusion in Singapore.
In conclusion, BBVA's initiatives aim to drive an inclusive culture and encourage a supportive work environment. These measures, taken together, are a testament to BBVA's commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace and promoting disability inclusion.
BBVA's dedication to disability inclusion goes beyond just their workplace initiatives as they also collaborate with other organizations to share best practices and experiences, such as Specialisterne for hiring professionals with autism and Asperger's syndrome. This commitment to inclusivity also extends to the field of education and self-development, as evidenced by their partnership with the Autism Resource Center to create the Neurodiversity@work program in Singapore.
In terms of lifestyle and general news, BBVA's efforts to promote disability inclusion have been recognized with the Platinum Enabling Mark by SG Enable, the highest national-level accreditation for disability inclusion in Singapore, making headlines both locally and internationally as a model for other businesses to follow.
