CIMB, the Malaysian financial services group, has partnered with the Institute of Bankers Malaysia and the Chartered Banker Institute UK to launch a new training programme for its 42,000 staff.

The deal is in line with efforts to make CIMB's employees "globally recognised ASEAN bankers" and to improve services to the company's over 13.9 million clients in the region. Among those covered by the program are banking essentials and practises.

The Chartered Banker is an international organisation that sets standards in banking qualification. The CB Education Pathway comprises three levels of qualification: executive bank, professional banker and chartered banker.

CIMB Group is the second largest financial services firm in Malaysia. It also has operations in eight out of 10 ASEAN countries.