Measuring Our Impact: An Analysis of Our Seattle-Based BankWork$ Program

Posted on by hasoptimization

Creating Career Connections

CareerWork$® connects young adults from low-income communities to employers in banking and healthcare to create access to lasting careers that help participants, communities, and employers succeed.

Working with local partners around the nation, we offer free, eight-week career training programs, BankWork$® and CareerWork$ Medical®.

We are proud of our work in 13 markets to help place over 3,500 graduates in new careers with strong growth potential. But as we’ve continued to grow our programs and expand our impact, we wanted to better understand–and measure–our outcomes, with an initial focus on our BankWork$ program in Seattle, with their long tenure and record of success. What does participation in our BankWork$ program mean for our graduates, their future income, and their career pathways? What benefits does it provide the communities we serve? And how can a better understanding of graduates help employers better serve their communities?

Engaging National Experts to Independently Analyze the Outcomes of Our Seattle-Based Bankwork$ Program

Since the creation of BankWork$ in 2006, our training partners have provided a host of data on student demographics, graduation and placement rates, and retention with our employer partners. But to better understand our impact, CareerWork$ was eager to leverage our training partners’ data along with outside economic data and to validate our results with a third party. To do that, we engaged with nationally recognized social impact experts Kinetic West to conduct an independent analysis of the outcomes of our BankWork$ program.

In April 2020, Kinetic West conducted its analysis using BankWork$ participant data from the YWCA Seattle for program years 2014 and 2015, as well as wage growth and employment rate data from Washington State Employment Security Department’s unemployment insurance database. This allowed us to examine a training partner graduating significant numbers of students and placing them in roles with employer partners, and to closely track their post-graduation progress, including wages and employment rates.

Impact on Graduates

That analysis showed a clear and meaningful impact on the lives and futures of BankWork$ graduates, including both for graduates who were placed in jobs with employer partners and those who pursued other career opportunities after graduation.

Findings of the analysis include:

  • Graduates’ income more than doubles in the first three years: Graduates see an average wage increase of 134 percent in the first three years after graduation when compared to wages earned in the year prior to joining the program.
  • Graduates become self-sufficient faster after our eight-week program: After participating in our eight-week class, a program graduate is estimated to exceed the self-sufficiency threshold for a single adult in King County within three years, compared to 27 years for a non-participant.
  • Expected lifetime earnings soar: Estimated annual lifetime earnings are $1 million higher for our graduates versus non-participants.
  • Graduates’ employment rate skyrockets: By their third year since completing our program, employment rate gains are 39 percentage points higher for graduates compared to non-completers.

Social Impact for the Communities We Serve

We also set out to understand the social benefits of our program and the impact that new career connections have. We found:

  • BankWork$ graduates pay more in taxes: Our Bankwork$ graduates pay an estimated 70 percent more in local, state, and federal taxes than non-participants.
  • States spend less on social services: Washington state will spend $40,458 less in social services per graduate than a non-participant.

Better Understanding Who We Serve and The Talent Our Programs Provide Employers

A key question we sought to better understand was who we serve. The data showed that:

  • 52 percent of participants are bi-lingual or multi-lingual. This improves access to banking services for people who speak languages other than English.
  • 82 percent of BankWork$ graduates are people of color: Our graduates reflect the communities where they live and work.

This was further evidence that our industry partners can benefit by engaging with, hiring, and retaining outstanding candidates who come from the communities they serve—helping to strengthen their local relationships and fulfill their organizational goals.

Expanding Our Impact and Helping Communities Recover Stronger

While this analysis is focused on outcomes for our Seattle-area BankWork$ graduates, we’re confident that ongoing analysis of both BankWork$ and CareerWork$ Medical as we grow across the country will yield equally powerful insights and impacts.

We are committed to ongoing analysis of our programs and their impact, and we believe our work is more important than ever as we see the inequitable impact of the ongoing recession caused by the coronavirus crisis.

Working together, we need to do more to prepare for the coming recovery. That’s why we are inviting foundations, advocates, employers, and policymakers to support our impactful programs, and help us offer these life-changing opportunities to more people in communities where young adults lack the access to career-building opportunities, and where employers have positions to fill. When we do, our communities will recover stronger.

CareerWork$ Medical® Free Job Training Program Continues West Coast Expansion to Los Angeles and Portland, OR

Posted on by CareerWork$
CAREERWORK$ MEDICAL® FREE JOB TRAINING PROGRAM CONTINUES WEST COAST EXPANSION TO LOS ANGELES AND PORTLAND, OR
CAREERWORK$ MEDICAL ACCELERATES SUCCESS BY CONNECTING YOUNG ADULTS FROM TRADITIONALLY UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES TO ENTRY-LEVEL, NON-CLINICAL CAREERS IN HEALTHCARE

Seattle, WA, September 25, 2019 – CareerWork$, Inc. announced today that it has partnered with JVS So-Cal and Worksystems, ­­­Inc to expand its CareerWork$ Medical job training program to Los Angeles and the greater Portland area beginning on September 23 and October 15, respectively.  This innovative healthcare career job program offers free, eight-week training, placement assistance, and ongoing coaching to provide the support young adults need for not only getting the job, but advancing in a career.  Launched in 2017, the program operates in Seattle through a new partnership with Seattle Goodwill Industries.

This effort is a priority of the Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation.  CareerWork$ Medical connects students who have the attitude and aptitude for success but lack the access to meaningful employment, with employers who are looking for qualified, diverse talent. Participants graduate ready for their first day on the job in the healthcare field and have an opportunity to interview with industry partners during a personalized job fair.  Employers are hiring for in-demand, entry-level roles with career potential, such as patient service coordinator, family support specialist, and numerous medical office roles.

“We are thrilled to be able to grow CareerWork$ Medical throughout the West Coast.  We see a tremendous opportunity to work in communities where we can have the greatest impact and to enable employers to identify talented, diverse hires that reflect their patient populations”, says CareerWork$ President, Sherry Cromett.

CareerWork$, a division of the Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation, has partnered with community-based organizations across the US to launch over 2,600 new banking and healthcare careers. Their original program, BankWork$®, began in Los Angeles in 2006 with JVS-SoCal and has since grown to 14 cities including Portland in 2016 with Worksystems, Inc.

“The need for talented people in the healthcare community is great”, says Sheri Biller, founder.  “We have tremendous confidence in our training partners to build lasting success for employees and healthcare employers in the communities they serve”.

CareerWork$ Medical is a free eight-week healthcare services job training program that serves individuals with barriers to employment. For more information, visit www.careerworksmedical.org.

The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation is committed to a collaborative approach to philanthropy in its focus areas of career pathways development, public education, supportive care, and social impact theatre. For more information, visit www.billerfamilyfoundation.org.

P4W, PA Bankers Association, Elected Officials, Kick-off BankWork$® Program in Pittsburgh

Posted on by CareerWork$

NEWS RELEASE

Contact
Jen Pajewski, Director of Special Relationships
Phone: 412-552-7098
Email: jpajewski@partner4work.org
Web: www.partner4work.org

Partner4Work, PA Bankers Association, Announces Launch of BankWork$ Training Program  

Pittsburgh, August 21, 2019 – Partner4Work (P4W), in collaboration with the PA Bankers Association and several of the region’s leading financial institutions, announced the launch of BankWork$® Pittsburgh, a nationally recognized, industry-developed training program aimed at helping individuals prepare for careers in retail banking.

“It’s well established that Pittsburgh’s retail banking landscape has expanded recently and competition for talent, as well as customers, is front and center in helping the financial services industry succeed in the region,” said Earl Buford, Partner4Work CEO. “BankWork$ can help level the playing field – both for businesses and for job seekers – and help individuals get hired in their own communities.”

Developed by the banking sector, BankWork$ prepares individuals with barriers to employment to become qualified for positions such as tellers, customer service representatives, and personal bankers. Students also receive soft-skills training, coaching and mentoring from industry professionals, interview prep and other hands-on activities. The eight-week training program is set to begin September 30 at the Energy Innovation Center Institute in the Hill District.

BankWork$ is a program of the Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation, based in Seattle. Les Biller, a former COO of Wells Fargo & Co., and Sheri Biller, a community activist and volunteer, launched BankWork$ in 2006. It operates in 13 other U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, Dallas, Milwaukee, and Philadelphia.

Recruitment for the program is open now, with a specific interest in the recruitment of Hill District residents. Interested students should visit https://www.partner4work.org/bankworks-for-students/ to get started.

The program is offered at no cost to students through the support of Citizens Bank, PNC, Bank of America, Northwest Bank, First Commonwealth Bank, Dollar Bank, Huntington Bank, S&T, and the John T. and Margaret S. McCartan Charitable Fund of The Pittsburgh Foundation.

About Partner4Work
Nationally recognized for innovation, Partner4Work, formerly Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board, is the workforce development organization that connects funding, expertise and opportunities for employers, job seekers, agencies and policymakers to develop a thriving workforce in the Pittsburgh area. As stewards of more than $21 million in public and private workforce funds, Partner4Work oversees and funds workforce programs for adults, dislocated workers and youth; educates the community through labor market analytics; and implements innovative solutions to the region’s systemic workforce challenges. More information is available at www.partner4work.org.

About PA Bankers Association
PA Bankers has been bringing banks and bankers together for more than 120 years to learn, grow, serve and engage with their peers, communities, and lawmakers. The association has built a strong reputation as a leading advocate for banking policies at the state and federal levels, as well as the delivery of quality education, products, and services for banks of all sizes and their employees. Follow the Pennsylvania Bankers Association on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter (@PABankers).

About Bankwork$®
BankWork$ was started in 2006 in Los Angeles by The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation in partnership with regional workforce development leader Jobs.Vision.Success Southern California (JVS SoCal). As part of the five-year, $4 million national expansion in partnership with Bank of America, U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo, and the Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation, the program will be in up to 15 markets by end of 2019. For more information, visit www.bankworks.org.

BankWork$® to partner with Fremont Adult and Continuing Education to offer Eight-Week Financial Services Industry Career Training Program in Greater East Bay

Posted on by CareerWork$

BankWork$® announced today that it has partnered with Fremont Adult and Continuing Education to offer its eight-week fre training program that places low-income young adults and those with barriers to employment in jobs in the financial services industry. The BankWork$ program was previously offered in the Bay Area by Jewish Vocational Services and is also operating in twelve cities nationwide.

“Through the BankWork$ program, JVS successfully placed 125 graduates in the financial services industry over the last few years, creating access to lasting, meaningful careers and employer success.” said Sherry Cromett, President of Career Pathways which owns BankWork$. “We are thankful for the partnership we had with JVS and excited to continue this journey with Fremont Adult and Continuing Education as we deepen our roots in the Bay Area.”

BankWork$ partners with leading vocational training organizations in each market who deliver the program locally. The eight-week course equips graduates with the hard and soft skills needed to become qualified candidates for in-demand jobs at local bank branches. The program has a 69 percent placement rate, and 82 percent of graduates placed in jobs in the financial services industry remain employed six months after graduation.

Fremont Adult and Continuing Education, a part of the Fremont Unified School District, offers adult education with an emphasis on creating post-secondary education and career pathways. They collaborated with JVS in 2018 to begin offering the BankWork$ program on campus and will facilitate the delivery of BankWork$ in Fremont and the East Bay area going forward.

“We have witnessed what the BankWork$ program can do for individuals looking to kick start a career in the financial services industry,” said Heidi McFadden, Principal of Fremont Adult and Continuing Education. “We are excited to continue to provide this life-changing program to the deserving residents of Fremont and beyond and are committed to its success.”

About BankWork$® BankWork$ is a free eight-week financial services job training program that serves individuals with barriers to employment. The program is now operating in Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Phoenix, Portland, Ore., Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle and Tacoma. For more information, visit www.bankworks.org.

About Fremont Adult and Continuing Education Fremont Adult and Continuing Education is committed to student success and community enrichment by providing accessible, equitable and innovative quality education and services to adult learners. We foster student growth through college pathways, job training, career advancement skills and lifelong learning opportunities.

[/cmsmasters_text][/cmsmasters_column][/cmsmasters_row]

CareerWork$, Inc.® and The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation Announce Sherry Cromett as the New President of Career Pathways

Posted on by CareerWork$

[cmsmasters_row data_shortcode_id=”nhqumwwtun” data_padding_bottom_mobile_v=”0″ data_padding_top_mobile_v=”0″ data_padding_bottom_mobile_h=”0″ data_padding_top_mobile_h=”0″ data_padding_bottom_tablet=”0″ data_padding_top_tablet=”0″ data_padding_bottom_laptop=”0″ data_padding_top_laptop=”0″ data_padding_bottom_large=”0″ data_padding_top_large=”0″ data_padding_bottom=”50″ data_padding_top=”0″ data_bg_parallax_ratio=”0.5″ data_bg_size=”cover” data_bg_attachment=”scroll” data_bg_repeat=”no-repeat” data_bg_position=”top center” data_color=”default” data_bot_style=”default” data_top_style=”default” data_padding_right=”3″ data_padding_left=”3″ data_width=”boxed”][cmsmasters_column data_width=”1/1″ data_shortcode_id=”45t4o6tzv” data_animation_delay=”0″ data_border_style=”default” data_bg_size=”cover” data_bg_attachment=”scroll” data_bg_repeat=”no-repeat” data_bg_position=”top center”][cmsmasters_text shortcode_id=”lxrbj811s” animation_delay=”0″]

Media Contact:
Mark Dederer
Inquiries@billerfamilyfoundation.org
206-535-7543

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CareerWork$, Inc.® and The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation Announce Sherry Cromett as the New President of Career Pathways

SEATTLE (December 5, 2018) – Today it was announced that Sherry Cromett will join CareerWork$, Inc. as the new President of Career Pathways, leading its mission to provide free career training to young adults from underserved communities and connecting them with jobs that pay above a living wage, include benefits, and have career growth potential.

“I am inspired by the Career Pathways programs that help in opening the door for highly capable people who have experienced multiple barriers to employment and rewarding careers, “said Cromett. “It’s an honor to lead and grow the Career Pathways banking and medical training programs that focus on equity and access for deserving individuals.”

Most of Cromett’s career has been spent with Starbucks, where over the course of twenty years she defined and spearheaded the U.S. and global business strategies as well as highly complex, critical initiatives for over 12,000 stores. “We look forward to Sherry bringing her extensive business experience to the world of active philanthropy,” noted the Foundation’s Co-Founder, Les Biller. “We’re excited to see what bold ideas she has for the continued expansion of our Career Pathways programs.”

Currently, the Foundation operates two Career Pathways programs: BankWork$®, which prepares participants for careers in the retail banking industry, and CareerWork$ Medical®, which focuses on the healthcare industry. Developed in Los Angeles in 2006, BankWork$ has since expanded nationally to thirteen cities and launched more than 2,100 careers nationwide. CareerWork$ Medical began in November 2017 in Seattle and plans to expand to new markets within the next year.

###

About The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation
The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation fulfills its mission to invest in bold ideas that inspire collective action in order to achieve powerful results in the four focus areas of public education, social impact theatre, career pathways, and supportive care. Grants are made primarily in Los Angeles County and Washington state. The Foundation was founded in 2001 by Sheri and Les Biller. For more information, please visit The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation’s website at www.billerfamilyfoundation.org. Follow on Twitter @BillerFamFdtn or on Faceboo

[/cmsmasters_text][/cmsmasters_column][/cmsmasters_row]

BankWork$ Partners with Employ Milwaukee and the Wisconsin Bankers Association to Bring Eight-Week Financial Services Industry Career Training Program to Milwaukee

Posted on by CareerWork$

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 25, 2018

For more information, contact:
Jill Lintonen (414) 270-1712

BankWork$® Partners with Employ Milwaukee and the Wisconsin Bankers Association to Bring Eight-Week Financial Services Industry Career Training Program to Milwaukee

The free training program offers an opportunity to launch a career in banking for underserved individuals

MILWAUKEE — BankWork$® announced today it is partnering with Employ Milwaukee and the Wisconsin Bankers Association (WBA) to expand its eight-week free training program to southeastern Wisconsin. BankWork$® is a public-private partnership that primarily trains participants from underserved neighborhoods for careers in retail banking. The Milwaukee partnership will place adults with barriers to employment, in jobs in the financial services industry. The program is currently operating in Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, and Tacoma, Washington.

BankWork$® has placed more than 2,000 graduates into careers in the financial services industry. We are excited to see the impact the program will have on Milwaukee,” said Colleen Anderson, Executive Director at BankWork$®.

“The WBA is excited to support another way of helping our communities while providing banks with trained and job-ready front-line employees,” explained Rose Oswald Poels, President/CEO of the Wisconsin Bankers Association. “This is also a great way of promoting banking as a career in our state.”

BankWork$® partners with leading nonprofit vocational training organizations in each market to deliver the program locally. The eight-week course equips graduates with hard and soft skills, common among financial industry employers, to become qualified for in-demand jobs at local bank branches. The program has a 70 percent placement rate and 82 percent of graduates placed in jobs in the financial services industry remain employed six months after graduation.

“This is an impressive and successful program,” said Sandra Meka, Vice President-Talent Acquisition Manager, Associated Bank. “BankWork$® is helping us develop and maintain a skilled workforce at a rapid pace. Our need for workers is great. This program provides an excellent pool of diverse, qualified candidates to help us grow our business.”

Employ Milwaukee’s goal is to train 400 individuals over three years for banking industry jobs, including Entrylevel Bank Teller, Universal Teller, Customer Service Representative, Relationship Banker and Personal Banker. The first location to hold training classes will be at Journey House on Milwaukee’s southside.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for our job seekers,” said Willie C. Wade, President and CEO, Employ Milwaukee. “We are looking forward to introducing candidates to well-paying jobs, and ultimately lasting careers. I applaud the vision of BankWork$® and look forward to implementing the program in our community.”

About BankWork$
BankWork$® was started in 2006 in Los Angeles by The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation in partnership with regional workforce development leader Jobs.Vision.Success Southern California (JVS SoCal). As part of the five-year, $4 million national expansion in partnership with Bank of America, U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo, and the Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation, the program will be in up to 15 markets by end of 2019. For more information, visit www.bankworks.org.

About Employ Milwaukee
Employ Milwaukee administers an industry-driven sector-based workforce model. This highly effective model promotes long-term economic prosperity and sustainable employment. Through direct employer engagement in high demand industry sectors, Industry Advisory Board participants identify skill requirements and employment opportunities within key sectors. Customized hiring events are just one of the services Employ Milwaukee provides to employers and job seekers in the greater Milwaukee area. For more information, visit employmilwaukee.org.

About Wisconsin Bankers Association
The Wisconsin Bankers Association is the state’s largest financial industry trade association, representing nearly 240 commercial banks and savings institutions, their nearly 2,300 branch offices and 23,000 employees.

###