Pub. 7 2017 Issue 2

6 www.azbankers.org B ANKWORK$ STUDENTS, INCLUDING MESA’S CHRISTINA RAMOS, GRADUATED JUNE 7. (SPECIAL TO MYNEWSMESA.COM) Thirteen students from six Valley communi- ties (including Mesa) focused on building careers in the financial industry graduated from the BankWork$ program June 7th, pushing the total number of graduates to more than 90. Many graduates chose the eight-week, 168-hour pro- gram, funded by financial institutions throughout the Valley and founders, The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation, “to transition out of lower-paying jobs with little or no upward potential to find a career path that provides long-term financial security for their families,” said Bank- Work$ Program Coordinator Laura Fisher. “The impact and reach of the program is growing significantly with more than 350 applications already submitted for consideration in a very competitive process for the next class” which begins July 10th. Of 79 previous graduates, 59 have been hired at either post-gradua- tion job fairs or subsequent interviews. Graduation ceremonies were held at the Emmett McLoughlin Community Training and Education Center in Phoenix. Graduates are: Alejandro Castillo, Phoenix; Cynthia Cortez, Phoenix; Virginia Curry, Tempe; Jasmeen Davis, Phoenix; Patricia Dorssom, Phoenix; Natali Flores, Phoenix; Yunes Jaff, Phoenix; Flor Marquez, Buckeye; Ziada Numbe, Glendale; Andrea Olivas, Buckeye; Chris- tina Ramos, Mesa; Virginia Ramos Robles, Goodyear; and LaQuia Roberts, Phoenix. Arizona Women’s Education and Employment (AWEE) launched the program in 2015 in partnership with BankWork$ and local financial institution partners to deepen its long-time work with adults from low-income and minority communities and those with barriers to employment. For program information and to submit an application, call 602-223-4349 or visit awee.org/bankworks. BankWork$ classes are free for participants. The eight-week class provides training in the skills needed for jobs as tellers, customer service representatives and personal bankers. BankWork$ also offers resume building, job interview practice, job placement assistance and ongoing coaching and mentoring to help with career advancement. Participants must be 18 years or older, have a high school diploma or GED, be fluent in written and spoken English, have basic computer skills and no adult felony convictions. BankWork$ launched in 2006 in Los Angeles and, by 2019, will be operating in more than 15 cities nationwide. Its $4-million national expansion is funded by Bank of America, U.S. Bank and Wells Far- go, which have each pledged $1 million over five years to support the rollout, and by The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation, which founded the program and has also pledged $1 million. Since its launch, more than 800 BankWork$ graduates have been hired by banks and other financial institutions. BankWork$ achieves a graduation rate of approximately 75 percent and is placing approximately 70 percent of graduates with partner banks each year. BankWork$ graduates also stay employed in their jobs: retention rates for 2012 BankWork$ graduates showed that 86 percent were employed six months after their hire date and 72 percent one year from their hire date. For more information about BankWork$, visit www.bankworks.org. For more information about AWEE, visit www.awee.org. w AzBA and BankWorks form Partnership: Changing Lives by Providing Training for Careers in the Financial Services Industry