The Texas Bankers Association (TBA) has partnered with national nonprofit organization CareerWork$ to support the expansion of its signature free vocational training program, BankWork$, in Texas. The program, which currently operates classes at Dallas College, helps young adults from low-income communities build meaningful careers in banking through a free eight-week career training program, with placement assistance and ongoing coaching.
BankWork$ started in Los Angeles in 2006 and has since expanded to 13 metro markets across the U.S., including Dallas in 2018. The program prepares young adults for entry-level positions within the banking industry, such as teller, customer service representative, relationship banker and personal banker. To date, more than 3,600 banking careers have been launched through the BankWork$ program. More than half of BankWork$ students are bilingual and 82 percent of its graduates are people of color.
“BankWork$ is an outstanding program that aligns with many important TBA objectives, including access to talent for our member banks, increasing diversity and inclusion within our workforce and, ultimately, elevating the socioeconomic well-being of local communities across the state,” says Brent Cox, vice president of member relations at the Texas Bankers Association. “Our next step in partnering with CareerWork$ will focus on expanding the BankWork$ program to a second training center in Dallas, establishing a Houston campus and expanding into additional cities across Texas.”
The Texas Bankers Foundation, the charitable arm of the Texas Bankers Association, has committed $5,000 to Dallas College’s BankWork$ program to allow the program to expand and meet important workforce, diversity, equity and inclusion needs for its member banks.
“We train for success in the financial industry and beyond, and we are excited to be partnering with the Texas Bankers Foundation to bring our free career training program to more communities across Texas,” says Sherry Cromett, president of CareerWork$. “Our BankWork$ program teaches hard and soft skills needed to succeed in banking and engages employers throughout the program to provide industry insight and integrated recruitment opportunities. We work in communities where we can have the greatest impact and partner with local workforce development organizations, banks and financial institutions to match great hires with great jobs.”
In addition to Dallas, BankWork$ is currently offered in several cities across the U.S., including Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Seattle, San Francisco and South Puget Sound.
Pictured above: Dallas College BankWork$ instructor Elishima Myles (center) with her BankWork$ students.
