CareerWork$ announced today that Alexis Jones, an April 2021 graduate of the BankWork$® program with our training partner Association House of Chicago, is the second and latest recipient of the CareerWork$ Marc Hill Rising Star Award.

This spring, Alexis began her new career in financial services as an Associate Banker with Chase Bank.

Launched in Spring 2021, the Marc Hill Rising Star Award recognizes graduates of our BankWork$ or CareerWork$ Medical® programs who have 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$® Ready programs with CareerWork$ partner, 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. The lessons Marc shared with his students embody our values as an organization.

Each quarter, CareerWork$ recognizes one student from graduating classes of our BankWork$ or CareerWork$ Medical program. Each award recipient receives a certificate and cash award to celebrate the start of their new career.

CareerWork$ staff and the Association House of Chicago staff surprised Alexis with the news that she had been selected as the second-ever award recipient in a virtual celebration.

“Pathways to new careers are hard to find,” said Alexis Jones. “The help BankWork$ gave me is amazing. I am grateful to the BankWork$ team for supporting me. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be a success story!”

“We are thrilled to honor Alexis as she launches her new career and to celebrate her growth, grit, and focus. Alexis represents what CareerWork$ is all about,” said CareerWork$ President Sherry Cromett. “We know that Marc would be proud that his legacy has brought so many people together to celebrate Alexis’s success, and this his work continues to have impact on people as they move forward in their careers.”

“From day one, we were impressed with Alexis’s willingness to learn, ask questions, and take advantage of each and every resource available as she worked to start a new career. She was focused every single day, and throughout the program she demonstrated tremendous personal and professional growth,” said Sherri Richardson, BankWork$ Instructor and Workforce Training Facilitator with Association House of Chicago and Cynthia Moore, BankWork$ Career Navigator and Enrollment and Retention Specialist with Association House of Chicago. “We are so proud of Alexis as she grows in her career and can’t wait to see all that she does.”

From all of us at CareerWork$, congratulations, Alexis!

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BankWork$®, a free, eight-week career training program to help open doors to lasting careers in banking, is coming to Oakland through a partnership with the national nonprofit CareerWork$®, Fremont Adult and Continuing Education and Oakland Adult and Continuing Education. The program provides the skills needed for any entry-level banking position with great career potential. Positions include roles such as teller, customer service representative, relationship banker, and personal banker. After eight weeks of intensive training, participants attend a combined graduation ceremony and personalized job fair where they can interview for open positions in the region with industry partners. Graduates also receive ongoing coaching and job placement support.  

The new class in Oakland begins simultaneously with the ongoing Fremont class on August 23 and will conclude on October 15. Classes are three days per week and follow a hybrid model, with half of the classes in person and half virtual to provide students experience with digital learning. Interested participants can lean more and apply here: https://www.face.edu/Page/34751.  

Eligible applicants must be 18 years old or older, have a high school diploma or GED, have English literacy and basic math skills, and a minimum of six months experience in customer service. 

Since 2019, BankWork$ has worked with Fremont Adult and Continuing Education to offer classes in Fremont and has graduated over 100 people from the program. Current BankWork$ employer partners in the Bay Area include SBI, HSBC, Bank of the West, Umpqua Bank, Patelco Credit Union, Fremont Bank, Mechanics Bank, Wells Fargo, and Comerica.  

“The BankWork$ class in Fremont has been a tremendous success, and we are excited that with our partners at Fremont Adult & Continuing Education it can expand its reach into the Oakland community and beyond.” said Sherry Cromett, President of CareerWork$. “We work in communities like Oakland where we can have the greatest impact and partner with local organizations, banks, and financial institutions to match great hires with great jobs.”      

“We have seen firsthand that BankWork$ is an effective and impactful program that teaches the hard and soft skills needed to succeed in banking and engages employers throughout the program to provide invaluable industry insight and integrated recruitment opportunities,” said Heidi McFadden, Principal, Fremont Adult & Continuing Education. “We look forward to continuing to work with CareerWork$ and our community to expand the impact of BankWork$ in the Bay Area.” 

BankWork$ currently offers its classes in 13 cities across the United States and has helped launch nearly 4,000 careers since its founding in Los Angeles. More than half of BankWork$ graduates are bilingual or multilingual, and 72 percent of BankWork$ graduates remain with their employer after 12 months. You can learn more about BankWork$’s graduates and its impact here. 

Are you an employer interested in supporting the BankWork$ program and recruiting great talent to help serve the diverse financial needs of your communities? Contact us at info@bankworks.org. 

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