Employer representatives from Banner Bank and Sound Community Bank met with BankWork$ Fundamentals graduates during the Seattle hiring fair. Photo courtesy of CareerWork$

SEATTLE, WA — There is a powerful shift happening in the Seattle banking sector, and it is being driven by a group of determined, skilled individuals ready to change the face of the financial industry.

CareerWork$ is thrilled to announce the graduation of our latest BankWork$ Fundamentals (BWF) cohort. Not only is this group stepping into the professional world with industry-specific training, but they have also made history: to date, this is our biggest cohort ever, boasting an incredible 29 graduates. Of those graduates, 12 participated through our Washington State partnership, demonstrating the growing demand for flexible, virtual workforce training that connects job seekers across the state to careers in banking.

A Historic Return to In-Person Connections

This graduation marked a massive milestone for the program, extending far beyond the record-breaking class size. For the first time since 2019, our banking partners were able to gather back in person to conduct a live, face-to-face hiring fair for the local graduates.

While virtual programming has kept us connected, nothing quite matches the energy, confidence, and human connection built during an in-person interview process. The room was buzzing with opportunity as graduates stood proud, ready to showcase the knowledge they spent the last eight weeks mastering.

Driven by Community, Hosted by Partners

The success of this historic cohort was made possible through the deep, unwavering commitment of our Seattle bank partners, who continue to prioritize opening doors for individuals from marginalized and underrepresented communities.

A huge thank you to Sound Community Bank for graciously hosting us for this momentous event. Alongside them, financial leaders from Wells Fargo and Banner Bank played major roles, showing up in force to interview our graduates and invest directly in local talent.

CareerWork$ staff and employer partners from Sound Community Bank celebrate the completion of CareerWork$’s largest BankWork$ Fundamentals cohort to date. Photo courtesy of Javon Willis Photography

The Next Chapter Begins

By connecting under-resourced talent with corporate partners who value diversity and skill, BankWork$ Fundamentals continues to prove that economic mobility starts with equitable access to careers.

We are immensely proud of all our graduates. They have put in the hard work, mastered the skills, and are officially ready to step into the financial sector as competitive, resilient professionals.

Interested in joining our next cohort or becoming an employer partner? Click the links below to learn how you can get involved with CareerWork$.

“Lots of folks are going through the challenging situation of finding a career and not just a job.  We all want to grow, we all want to ascend to new heights and take care of our families.”

In June 2023, Pedro Marti, a dedicated philanthropist and board member of CareerWork$®, undertook an extraordinary mission known as the 29029 Challenge in Sun Valley, California. This challenge involved completing 15 hikes, each 1.6 miles long, covering a vertical climb of 29,655 feet in just 36 hours—equivalent to a climb higher than Mount Everest. Pedro’s commitment went beyond a personal feat; he was on a mission to inspire others to give and donate to causes he deeply cared about. Pedro pledged to donate $1.00 for every foot climbed and encouraged his personal network to join the cause in supporting four non-profit organizations close to his heart, including CareerWork$.

“Challenging myself to climb almost 30,000 vertical feet in what turned out to be the most difficult physical journey of my life was the least I could do to honor all my friends at CareerWork$.  CareerWork$ and our partners are moving the needle in economic opportunity and helping those that are ready, willing and able to help themselves.  I am proud of them, proud of myself and appreciative of all those that contributed based on my feet climbed count.  Forever grateful for the 29029 journey and its inspiration to go for more one step at a time.”

After 33.5 hours, 30,000 feet climbed, and more than 13,000 calories burned, Pedro successfully completed the challenge. Thanks to the generosity of supporters, Pedro’s efforts resulted in raising over $50,000 to date for CareerWork$ which is making a substantial impact on our work.

Congratulations, Pedro, on your remarkable accomplishment and thank you for your support of CareerWork$ and other non-profit organizations!

Joselyn Cuevas’s financial services journey began with her graduation from BankWork$® at JVS SoCal in 2017. Since then, she has worked her way up to become a Branch Manager at Bank of the West, now BMO Bank. This summer, Joselyn was featured in a BankWork$ promotion on bus benches around Los Angeles. Check out this video to hear in her own words what BankWork$ has meant to her. 

“BankWork$ has given a person like me the opportunity to succeed. I didn’t just change my life; I changed my team’s lives. My hope is that there are many stories like mine in the future,” said Joselyn. 

From all of us at CareerWork$, congratulations on your success, Joselyn! 

Learn more about BankWork$ and JVS SoCal here: https://bit.ly/48TQSEX