EIT Bachelor of Business Studies graduate and 2021 Valedictorian, Jasmeet “Jazz” Singh, has added another achievement to a long list of honours by being selected for ANZ Bank’s prestigious Graduate Programme.

A first-generation New Zealander with parents from Punjab, India, the Sikh-raised Jazz has shown determination, leadership, intellect and skill to succeed.

This has been borne out by a string of honours in the last number of years at EIT and at his current employer, ANZ Bank.

Jazz, who was one of three Valedictorians at this year’s EIT Hawke’s Bay graduation ceremonies, has been selected as one of a handful of ANZ staff to qualify for the Bank’s Graduate Programme.

He started his Business Studies degree, majoring in marketing and management, in 2018 and was then awarded a Prime Minister’s Scholarship in 2019 to go on a six-week tourism and hospitality management study tour of Vietnam at the start of 2020. This was hosted by Dong A University in Da Nang.

Last year saw him awarded a Faculty Dean’s Study Abroad Scholarship to study for half a year at the Regensburg University of Applied Sciences (OTH). However, COVID-19 forced him to return home after only three weeks.

An internship at ANZ at the end of his degree late last year, set Jazz on a career path that saw him hired as a casual employee leading up to his current role as a banking consultant in the ANZ Hastings branch.

Jazz will enter the 18-month ANZ Graduate Programme in February 2022 in Auckland.

“I decided to apply for the ANZ Graduate Programme and was stoked to get accepted for it. There were only six graduates that got through out of the hundreds that applied. So that was a really cool achievement for me.”

For Jazz, it means moving back to the city of his birth, Auckland, but he says he has “plenty of family there”. However, he does hope he will be able to return to the Bay, which he regards as home.

His parents, who raised him as a Sikh, own a dairy, Creagh St store, next to Napier Boys’ High School, which he attended, having moved down from Auckland when he was ten.  During the COVID-19 lockdown last year, the dairy began giving out free flour, bread and milk to the elderly or vulnerable families. For this act of kindness Jazz was recently named the Prospa National Local Business Hero for 2021.

After receiving the Year 13 Scholarship to EIT in his final year at High School, Jazz says he tried to take all opportunities given to him at EIT and ANZ.

“I’m not thinking too much about the future, just enjoying the present and every opportunity that’s presented to me.”

He says the qualification he received from EIT is a “very beneficial degree” and he would recommend EIT to anyone wanting a good education.

“The tutors go above and beyond and actually want you to succeed. The smaller class sizes also make it easier to build relationships with other students.”

ANZ Hastings Branch Manager Lucy Carpenter says Jazz is the epitome of what the Bank wants in their employees and the journey they take through the company.

“Jazz has a diverse background, not only with his culture but through his sport and community, so he is able to draw on his experience in all of these facets to help customers achieve their goals.”

Peter Gray, ANZ Taradale Branch Manager, who was Jazz’s mentor during his internship, says his work ethic and values always stood out.

“He has a thirst for learning, educating himself and delivering great value to his employer that was amazing to see in someone so young and yet so mature. For me, the icing on the cake was when Jazz secured a position in the very sought after ANZ Graduate Programme – the value of this in his future development cannot be talked about enough.”

Russell Booth, the Programme Coordinator and Lecturer in the EIT School of Business, says: “We always knew Jazz would succeed and do exceptionally well, but he has exceeded even our expectations through being accepted onto the ANZ Graduate Recruitment programme.”

“He is a credit to himself, and his family and he has clearly shown what incredible opportunities await our students with hard work and a positive attitude through studying Business at EIT.”