As Instructor for Our CareerWork$® Ready Program, Angeline Sullivan Draws on Career-Long Drive to Help “Change Lives”

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Angeline Sullivan’s long career serving her community has been guided by a simple mission. 

“I have always wanted,” Angeline says, “to help change lives and overcome barriers.” 

Continue reading “As Instructor for Our CareerWork$® Ready Program, Angeline Sullivan Draws on Career-Long Drive to Help “Change Lives”” →

CareerWork$® Program Manager Ruby Sloan Gives Back to the Program That Opened Doors for Her

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If you are a BankWork$® or CareerWork$ Medical® Instructor, Career Navigator, employer partner, training partner, or even a Seattle-area BankWork$ student, chances are you’ve worked with CareerWork$ Program Manager Ruby Sloan.   

Since she joined the team in 2017 as CareerWork$’s second program employee, Ruby has been instrumental in launching new programs, expanding to new markets, and supporting thousands of graduates as they enter new careers.  She is a key support liaison to new and existing training partners, building relationships with Instructors and Career Navigators. She also provides curriculum and instructional support, and represents the program across the country to constituents while supporting the team in achieving its national expansion. 

Continue reading “CareerWork$® Program Manager Ruby Sloan Gives Back to the Program That Opened Doors for Her” →

Graduate Spotlight: Vanessa Spinks

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Editor’s Note: A previous version of this spotlight appeared in the Spring 2021 edition of “Banking Matters,” a quarterly publication of our partner, the Oregon Bankers Association. Click here to learn more. 

Since graduating from high school in 2016, Vanessa Spinks has worn a lot of hats and worked many different jobs: auto detailing, a berry farm, a department store, a warehouse, and a fish processing plant.  

Soon, though, she was ready for something else. As she puts it, she was eager for her first “adult job.” 

That’s where BankWork$® comes in. After learning about the program, Vanessa signed up for the course with our Portland, Oregon-area partner, SE Works.  

“I didn’t feel like I would do well in college right away,” said Spinks. “I felt BankWork$ would help me with my education and career.”’ 

In 2017, she completed our free, comprehensive, eight-week training. It wasn’t long before Vanessa launched her career in financial services. In her first roles, she worked as a teller, a vault teller, and a merchant teller.  

Today, Vanessa is flourishing in her financial services career with our founding partner, Wells Fargo, as an Escalated Complaint Specialist in their credit card department. Vanessa says her BankWork$ Instructors and Career Navigators were essential in helping her launch her career.  

“The staff members have supported me from the beginning and even now. I feel I can lean on them if I need it,” says Vanessa. “They gave me lasting connections with people with whom I wouldn’t have otherwise had the opportunity to meet. Most of my LinkedIn contacts are BankWork$-related.” 

For employers in Oregon’s financial services industry and beyond, with the support of Worksystems, the Portland Workforce Board, and the Oregon Bankers Association, BankWork$ is helping meet the call for talent that reflects the communities they serve. 

“BankWork$ fills an important need for both banks and those looking to ready themselves for a career in the profession,” says Linda Navarro, President and CEO of the Oregon Bankers Association, which sponsors the BankWork$ programs with SE Works. “We in the banking industry often focus on college-level recruitment, but so many positions in banks don’t require a degree. Banks can benefit by attracting job-ready, diverse and motivated candidates who are trained in the basics of banking and ready to take on a new, professional challenge. This is exactly what BankWork$ provides.” 

In the four years since she graduated from BankWork$, Vanessa continues to build her ties to the program. She has been also a guest graduate speaker at BankWork$ graduations. She’s even helped interview some BankWork$ graduates for roles with her employer. 

“There are so many people who have never been given access to a career in financial services,” says Sherry Cromett, President of CareerWork$®, a national nonprofit that operates BankWork$ and other career-readiness programs. “BankWork$ opens a door for those who might otherwise not have known they could be successful in a banking career.” 

Today, Vanessa says she’s excited to be in a role where she can grow roots and start a long-term career.  

“It has worked out great,” said Spinks. “I give 100 percent of the credit to BankWork$. I love this program so much.” 

Learn more about BankWork$’s partnership with SE Works and upcoming classes here.  

CareerWork$ New Program Manager Dion Willis Brings Perspective As Former Career Navigator and Commitment to Help “Pay It Forward” for Students, Career Navigators, and Communities

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Dion Willis has spent years working with communities to help create economic opportunity, and to open up access to financial literacy and job trainings. 

“I want you to get a job, but I want you to get the job you want – in the right way.” 

Now, as a new Program Manager for the national nonprofit organization CareerWork$, Dion serves as a key support liaison to new and existing CareerWork$ community-based training partners, providing curriculum and instructional support, as well as representing the program across the country to constituents while supporting the team in achieving its national expansion. 

“This opportunity with CareerWork$ gives me a chance to bring my energy every day to pay it forward to other Instructors, Career Navigators, our students and their communities.” 

In his new role with CareerWork$, Dion – a native Chicagoan and longtime resident of Seattle – brings a unique perspective: He has served as a Career Navigator for all three CareerWork$ – BankWork$®, CareerWork$ Medical® and CareerWork$® Ready programs with our partners YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish. Over his seven years at the YWCA, Dion taught various job readiness workshops, life skills curricula and has assisted numerous participants in starting their career journey while providing motivation to become the best version of themselves. 

Dion first joined YWCA as an intern, but quickly joined the organization full-time. Before long, he became a job training instructor with the YWCA Community Jobs program, mainly focusing on assisting participants receiving benefits from DSHS. When CareerWork$ Medical launched with YWCA as a training partner, Dion was its first Career Navigator. Later, he was asked to become YWCA’s Career Navigator for the BankWork$ program. 

And then came the COVID pandemic. When CareerWork$ launched Work$Ready, a free, online job readiness training to support those displaced by the pandemic in seeking new employment, Dion helped extend its impact as a navigator and back-up training instructor. 

In the early days of the pandemic, Dion spearheaded virtual job search workshops and computer skills training. Soon, he developed the concept for a virtual job fair, which grew steadily in Fall 2020 into a series of successful events. 

Now, Dion is drawing on that perspective as a Career Navigator for all three programs to grow their impact. 

“This role gives me the chance to help our Instructors and Career Navigators be successful in leading classes, to pick their brain on what works, and how we can grow our impact. Being able to do that every day? That’s absolutely awesome.” 

In his spare time, Dion enjoys listening to and creating music. He is an avid Seattle Seahawks fan and takes pride in giving back to his culture. 

CareerWork$® Welcomes Kiana Scott As Its First-Ever Director of Development to Support Organization’s Continued National Growth and Impact

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The national nonprofit organization CareerWork$®, a signature program of the The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation, announced today that Kiana Scott has joined as its first-ever Director of Development to help support the organization’s continued expansion and growing impact of its free career training programs across the country. 

CareerWork$ connects young adults from low-income communities to employers in banking and healthcare through its BankWork$® and CareerWork$ Medical® programs to create access to lasting, meaningful careers. Working with local community-based training organizations and employer partners, CareerWork$ provides free, eight-week comprehensive trainings that cover the hard skills for on-the-job success and the soft skills needed to succeed anywhere, and includes placement assistance and ongoing coaching.  

Since starting in her newly-created role in May, Kiana works with philanthropies, corporate foundations, and other funders to generate support for CareerWork$’s programs and training partners. She is also building out a fundraising strategy to support CareerWork$’s expansion. 

“This is such an exciting time to join CareerWork$,” said Kiana. “The organization has demonstrated national impact, the ability to scale, and the nimbleness of a startup. It’s an impressive team of brilliant people doing work they love and with a shared commitment to serving others. Sheri and Les Biller founded this program with an incredible vision, and since launching as an independent national non-profit, Sherry Cromett has brought the smart, proven leadership necessary to grow this ambitious endeavor. The pandemic amplified a long-standing problem—the huge barrier faced by people who have all the ability and motivations to build careers, but don’t have access to those career opportunities yet. CareerWork$ is that essential bridge. I am excited to help CareerWork$ reach the next phase of our growth and spread our impact even further, and ultimately help more communities thrive.” 

Kiana joins CareerWork$ as it continues to expands its presence and impact across the country. Today, it operates its 16 training programs in 13 markets across the country and has helped launch nearly 4,000 careers nationwide. Earlier this year, CareerWork$ announced that it was partnering with the Texas Bankers Association to expand its BankWork$ program across the state. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, CareerWork$ also launched CareerWork$ Ready, a free, online job readiness training, to help job seekers build their confidence and develop their professional skills to support their job search process.   

Before joining CareerWork$, Kiana spent a decade working in nonprofit development and strategic communications, most recently advancing higher education at the University of Washington and economic mobility at Raise Wages Now, where she saw first-hand how a steady paycheck can shape a family’s future.  

Along with her current work at CareerWork$, Kiana serves as Vice President of the Henry M. Jackson Foundation, and is an active civic volunteer. She earned her BA from Williams College, her MPA from the Evans School at the University of Washington, and her MA and PhD in political communication at the University of Washington. While in graduate school, she was appointed the sole student member of the University of Washington Board of Regents.  

Outside of work, Kiana loves exploring the Pacific Northwest with her husband and rescue dog, and spending as much time as possible near the ocean. 

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Spotlight: In Milwaukee, Instructor Adriene Wright and Career Navigator Dominique Webb Help Deliver “Life-Changing” Opportunity

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Though Black History Month is coming to end, we continue to celebrate the rich heritage and impact of the African American community on our nation, and honor and highlight our partners across the country. 

For both Adriene Wright and Dominique Webb, the drive to become involved in BankWork$ with our partners Employ Milwaukee came from the chance to make a difference. 

Continue reading “Spotlight: In Milwaukee, Instructor Adriene Wright and Career Navigator Dominique Webb Help Deliver “Life-Changing” Opportunity” →

Employer Spotlight: For Dollar Bank, BankWork$ “Matches the Mission” of Creating Opportunity in the Communities It Serves

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When it was founded 1855, Dollar Bank’s founder Charles Colton had a “revolutionary” idea: to create a bank where anyone could open an account with one dollar in their pocket, regardless of race or gender. 

Today, over 165 years later, Dollar Bank remains rooted in that mission. 

“We pride ourselves on being a community bank,” says Michael O’Rorke, Dollar Bank’s Senior Vice President, Human Resources. “Part of being a community bank means thinking about all aspects of the community and how you can help create opportunity.” 

Headquartered in Pittsburgh, to help fulfill that mission, Dollar Bank began its partnership with the BankWork$ program run by our local training partners, Partner4Work, and Energy Innovation Center in 2019. Since then, Dollar Bank has welcomed nine BankWork$ graduates. 

“BankWork$ matches the mission of serving the communities where Dollar Bank operates”, says O’Rorke. “It allows us to round out our community vision of creating opportunity. It’s proven to be a really good match.” 

“Different people with different lenses look at challenges differently,” adds Paul David Spradley, Ed.D., Dollar Bank’s Assistant Vice President, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. “You are setting up your organization to have more diverse conversations.”  Dr. Paul was the keynote speaker at the previous BankWork$ graduation, where he inspired the graduates to continue setting new goals in their financial services careers. 

“The BankWork$ program continues to help connect talented job seekers with employers and exciting career opportunities in our community,” said Susie Puskar, Chief Program Officer for Partner4Work. “BankWork$ is one more way that we help open doors to our region’s job seekers, and businesses find the talent they need to grow and reflect the communities they serve. We’re excited to continue working with BankWork$ and employer partners to grow this successful program.” 

For Dollar Bank, BankWork$ has helped meet another key goal: hiring. 

“The BankWork$ program is a no-brainer because you are helping your community and attracting well-trained, diverse talent. Traditional talent pipelines are drying up, and BankWork$ offers a path to addressing the impending shortage of talent with a qualified pipeline,” says Dr. Spradley. 

One of Dollar Bank’s newest team members is Omar Almallak, a Spring 2021 BankWork$ graduate. Omar immigrated to the United States from Iraq in early 2020, and began working nights at a processing plant, just as the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Soon, a caseworker alerted him to the BankWork$ program, and he began the program provided by Energy Innovation Center. 

Omar managed an intense schedule, working nights at the processing plant and attending BankWork$ classes during the day, building on his accounting studies in Iraq. 

After completing the eight-week, free, comprehensive training program, he received two job offers – and ultimately accepted a role with Dollar Bank in their wire transfer department. 

Graduates like Omar succeed in their new career because they come to employers already “up the ramp,” says Michael. “They come to work with the skills they need, the self-confidence to be successful, and a desire to help others.” 

Dr. Spradley has a piece of advice for people interested in BankWork$ and Dollar Bank: “Visit our careers page. And find me on LinkedIn.” 

As Omar has begun his new career in financial services with Dollar Bank, he’s taken on another role, too: champion and unofficial recruiter for the BankWork$ program in his community. Already, he has helped recruit two people – a friend and a neighbor – into the BankWork$ program with Partner4Work. 

“I told them to do this program. It is a good way to build your career, and a good opportunity for people. They opened a door for me.” 

Want to learn more about BankWork$ and our work with our partners in the Pittsburgh region? Click here. 

CareerWork$ Announces BankWork$ Graduate Dynasty Grant as the First-Ever Recipient of the Marc Hill Rising Star Award

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CareerWork$ today announced that Dynasty Grant, a March 2021 graduate of CareerWork$ BankWork$ program with our training partner Goodwill of Colorado, is the first-ever recipient of the CareerWork$ Marc Hill Rising Star Award. This spring, Dynasty began her new career in financial services as a Client Relationship Consultant with employer partner U.S. Bank. 

Launched in Spring 2021, the Marc Hill Rising Star Award recognizes graduates of our BankWork$ and CareerWork$ Medical program who has shown significant personal growth and transformation from the start of their class until their graduation. The award is part of CareerWork$ ongoing work to open doors to meaningful careers – and to honor the life, work and legacy of the late Marc Hill, an instructor of both the BankWork$ and CareerWork$ Ready programs with CareerWork$ partners, YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish, who passed away in late 2020. Marc first began teaching our BankWork$ courses in 2011, and then began teaching CareerWork$ Ready in 2020 as part of our response to the COVID-19 crisis. Marc was also essential in helping expand the BankWork$ program into new markets nationwide. 

This year, each quarter CareerWork$ will recognize one student from graduating classes of our BankWork$ or CareerWork$Medical program. Each award recipient receives a certificate and cash award to enhance the start of their new career by helping with wardrobe, transportation, or other costs. 

Thanks to the efforts of U.S. Bank Denver Southwest District Manager Eric Mastroianni, CareerWork$ staff, Dynasty’s other colleagues at U.S. Bank, family, and Goodwill of Colorado staff had the opportunity to surprise Dynasty with the news that she had been selected as the first-ever award recipient.

“I’m forever grateful to BankWork$ and Goodwill of Colorado for supporting me, and for having faith in me even when I didn’t have it in myself,” said Dynasty. “Thank you for keeping me motivated and seeing the potential that I had inside of me.” 

“We are thrilled to celebrate Dynasty as the first-ever Marc Hill Rising Star Award winner and to recognize her incredible achievements and growth as she embarks on her new career and continues her journey. She represents what CareerWork$ is all about. Dynasty, we’ve got your back and we are so proud of you,” said CareerWork$ President Sherry Cromett. “We know that Marc would be really proud that his legacy has brought people together to celebrate dynasty, and this his work had impact on people like Dynasty as they move forward in their career.” 

“We are so excited to see Dynasty blossom in her new career and to see her honored in this way. Dynasty was a model student who was committed to learning and growing, and she contributed to our classroom as a supportive team member and engaged learner. She met every challenge with courage,” said B.J. Colwell, Dynasty’s instructor with the Goodwill of Colorado program.  

“It’s a privilege to have Dynasty as one of our colleagues in our market. She is showing our community that financial literacy is real, attainable, and accessible to everyone. Dynasty has a lot of people supporting her, and we celebrate her today,” said Patrina Pettry, Consumer and Business Banking Market Leader for Denver Market, U.S. Bank.“ 

Instructor Spotlight: For Shantelle Faison, BankWork$ Was “Designed to Help the Underdogs”

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Shantelle Faison has had an extensive, nearly 20-year career in financial services: A teller and mentor at First Union Bank (which later became Wachovia) where she also supported the hiring process; a Lead Teller and then a promotion to Service Manager at Wells Fargo; a Personal Banker; and later, a Branch Operations Manager for Santander Bank.  

And how did Shantelle find out about BankWork$? 

Continue reading “Instructor Spotlight: For Shantelle Faison, BankWork$ Was “Designed to Help the Underdogs”” →

Employer Partner Spotlight: For RadNet, CareerWork$ Medical Graduates “Succeed Because They Come Prepared”

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RadNet, a national leader in outpatient imaging with 334 locations, has approximately 8,600 employees nationwide. As the largest provider of comprehensive imaging services in the country, it has critical recruiting needs in areas like patient services.  

Career Work$Medical and its graduates are helping “genuinely meet our need,” says Ruth Wilson, RadNet’s Senior Vice President for Human Resources. “As CareerWork$ Medical has grown, it’s become a pipeline for us.”  

Since forming a partnership in 2019 with our Los Angeles-based Training Partner, JVS SoCal, RadNet has already hired 15 CareerWork$ Medical graduates into roles with career potential – and nearly all remain with RadNet after their first year of employment.  

Those graduates bring hard and soft skills from the comprehensive, eight-week training program for non-clinical roles that CareerWork$ Medical offers and was co-developed by employers and community-serving organizations to ensure success. 

“CareerWork$ Medical gives people the tools that make them successful in the transition to companies like ours,” added Ruth. “They succeed because they come prepared. They have a level of confidence in their training and have exemplified commitment to completing a program. They have the hard and soft skills they need. They are prepared for a real-world experience – and that’s what we offer.”  

For Elise Levine, Associate Director of JVS SoCal’s Healthcare Programs, who draws on her more than 30 years of experience in health care administration, a key way to help employer partners like RadNet meet their organizational goals is “constantly asking our partners like Ruth what they are focused on and looking for. We like to think of ourselves as being a recruiter without a commission. We’re always thinking about where our students could be placed. We help our students identify their strengths, and we really try and job match. Our role is to make our students successful.”  

What sets CareerWork$ Medical apart beyond its training focused on both hard and soft skills needed for non-clinical careers in healthcare is that it attracts students who “want to work for a place where they can make a difference,” says Ruth. “We want people who have that intrinsic motivation, commitment, and genuine empathy. As an employer, I can do anything with that. So, we’d be foolish not to consider CareerWork$ Medical a resource for finding  great employees.”  

As a large employer in the healthcare field, what’s Ruth’s advice to people considering participating in the CareerWork$ Medical program?  

“Find not just a job, but a chance to empathize with people. Working at RadNet offers students a chance to make a difference for our patients and something to be passionate about. If you are about people, then this is the program for you.” 

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