Thomaston Savings Bank collaborated with Bristol Adult Education and COCC to help develop and teach a pilot program for the newly formed Adult Education Diploma and Certificate Program.
This Banking Cohort, an important workforce development program open to learners of the Bristol Adult Education Center, focused on providing a collaborative setting for academic hands-on training so participants would have the opportunity to get their high school diploma as well as train to be qualified for entry level positions in the banking industry.
Thomaston Savings Bank and COCC employees, and the staff of the Bristol Adult Education Center donated over 100 hours of time to this initiative, preparing, organizing, scheduling, and presenting the curriculum for this program.
During the summer of 2015, Gina Braley, assistant vice president/Training Officer worked with the staff of the Bristol Adult Education Center to develop the curriculum and schedule classes for a three-month banking cohort. The specialized banking curriculum classes included entry-level banking skills, bank security, banking laws and regulations, along with communication skills to help participants with resume writing and job interviews within the banking industry.
Phyllis Tucker, training and development specialist; Todd Burton, assistant vice president/new business development and CRA officer; Sharon Cossu, human resources generalist, along with representatives of COCC conducted the training during the three-month program. Eight students received comprehensive training and developed the skills necessary to obtain a position as a bank teller. All the students were also enrolled in either the high school diploma or ESL classes at the Adult Education Center.
“I am honored to have been an instructor for the Bank Teller Training component of the fall 2015 AEDAC program. Being able to inspire others to succeed was truly a humbling experience for me. As I watched the graduates receive their certificates of completion for the program, I saw the huge impact I had on them and I wish them all well as they work towards obtaining a position within the banking industry,” said Tucker in a press release from the bank.
A graduation ceremony was held at the Bristol Adult Education Center recently for the eight participants – all were presented with their Workforce Development Certificate for completing the Bank Teller hands-on training portion of the program.
The eight graduates were:
Mariana Aguirre, Jazmine Boza, Raquel Boza, Rosa Martinez-Farias, Nahomi Nunez, Carmen Ortiz, Jocelyn Perez, Claudia Patricia Sanchez.
“We were honored to participate in the Bristol Adult Education Banking Cohort program. Working with our other partners, COCC and Bristol Adult Education, we provided a comprehensive training program that will prepare the students to start a career in banking. I truly appreciate the dedication and commitment of our staff to make the program a success. And it was inspiring to see the students’ joy and excitement upon graduating from the program. We wish them the best and we will continue to work with Bristol Adult Education to ensure they have opportunities to succeed,” said Stephen Lewis, president and CEO of Thomaston Savings Bank in the press release from the bank.
This program was funded in part through the generosity of the Main Street Community Foundation and the McPhee Foundation.
The trainers, from left to right: Todd Burton, Assistant Vice President/Business Development and CRA Officer of Thomaston Savings Bank; Phyllis Tucker, Training and Development Specialist of Thomaston Savings Bank; Michele Cleary, trainer from COCC; Gina Braley, Assistant Vice President/Training Officer of Thomaston Savings Bank.
The 2015 graduates of the Adult Education Diploma and Certificate program, from left to right: Carmen Ortiz, Mariana Aguirre, Jazmine Boza, Raquel Boza, Jocelyn Perez, Nahomi Nunez, Claudia Sanchez, Rosa Martinez-Farias