Sterling Bank Plc has launched a programmed, tagged ‘Grow with Sterling Initiative’, to promote work-study programme for secondary school leavers.

The Chief Human Resources Officer, Sterling Bank Plc, Temi Dalley, said this in a statement on Thursday entitled ‘Sterling Bank pioneers work-study programme for secondary school leavers, offers a 65 per cent scholarship.’

The bank said the initiative sought to contribute to the educational development of young secondary school leavers

It said it understood that an investment in knowledge paid the best interests, adding that it recently signed an agreement with Washington-based Nexford University by sponsoring secondary school leavers in Nigeria to earn international undergraduate degrees under a maximum duration of three years.

“To also gain hands-on expertise, they will be concurrently engaged by Sterling Bank to serve in specific capacities in a work-study arrangement,” it said.

Dalley said the programme was part of the bank’s new-to-the-world opportunities for young Nigerians to get access to quality and affordable education while gaining cognate work experience.

The bank said it would not pay nothing less than 65 per cent tuition fee of the learners admitted into the programme, marking a significant investment in the education of young Nigerians.

Grow with Sterling initiative is a co-branded social impact programme that will enable Nigerian secondary school leavers to further their education under a unique partnership arrangement with the bank as the financier and Nexford University as the learning provider.

 Listing other benefits, Dalley added that learners would get complimentary access to 20 per cent tuition discount and free enrolment on online learning platforms, among others.