Vijay Singh
New Delhi [India], November 28: Sa-Dhan, an RBI recognized Self – Regulatory Organisation (SRO) and an association of Microfinance and Impact Finance Institutions, has joined hands with the Indian Institute of Banking & Finance (IIBF), the premier institute in the country for administering various courses in the banking sector, to launch a new certification course for training the new employees of microfinance institutions, as well as, to provide a career for those interested in joining the microfinance industry as a career. The course has been developed jointly with Sa-Dhan, the largest and oldest association and an SRO for microfinance institutions.
Quality manpower shortage and higher staff attrition rates are problems being faced by the microfinance industry. The attrition of base-level staff is more than 50% and even 60% in many cases. This also contributes to the poor asset quality in the microfinance sector, as the change in field staff disrupts their smooth functioning, leading to even collection issues. Moreover,when new employees are often recruited, the MFIs need more time to train them well before putting on the job.
“Staff attrition, especially at the field level, is an issue all MFIs face. The attrition rates are very high, which can affect the functioning of MFIs and cause collection issues. We have done a study recently to understand the reasons for this large-scale attrition in the sector. Among the various reasons, the lack of a quality training programme was also one. Another issue faced by MFIs is the lack of quality candidates for recruitment. This effort of starting a new course by IIBF for new employees and job aspirants who want to join the microfinance industry will help resolve this issue to a great extent. I laud IIBF for the same,” Opined Mr Jiji Mammen, Executive Director and CEO of Sa-Dhan.
“We are happy to launch a new certification course on ‘Basics of Microfinance’, which will be useful to the new employees of microfinance institutions and fresh candidates who want to make a career in the microfinance industry. The new course is open to all, and I am sure it will help to tide away the issue of quality manpower in the microfinance sector. I am thankful to Sa-Dhan for associating with us to develop this course. My request to all MFIs is to make the best use of this course in training their fresh employees”, said Mr Biswa Ketan Das, the CEO of IIBF.
The course is open to all those who have passed 12th and want to join the microfinance industry. It is an online course where the candidates can log on tothe IIBF website, register, and take the course. The institute will conduct quarterly examinations and award the certificates to those qualifying for the exam. Sa-Dhan, the association and SRO for MFIs, plans to compile the list of candidates qualifying for the course and make a state-level list to be provided to the MFIs in the state for them to pick suitable candidates.
The microfinance sector employs around 3 lakh staff at present. Of this, 70% are the field staff, who work from the branches, including branch managers and field officers. This front – line staff is crucial for the growth of the microfinance sector. However, the unavailability of staff candidates and higher staff – turnover can derail the growth plan of microfinance institutions. The new effort of IIBF and Sa-Dhan will bring a lot of comfort to the industry, which is already going tough.
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