Students graduate from credit union specialist training in Florida
TALLAHASSEE, FL (November 4, 2022) — The Southeastern Credit Union Foundation (SECUF), the charitable arm of the League of Southeastern Credit Unions (LSCU), is pleased to announce the first group of students within the Community Spark Florida Program has graduated from the Credit Union Member Services Specialist Training Program. Earlier this year, SECUF and Generation USA partnered with several credit unions to create this training program for prospective employees looking to break into the credit union industry. The training program allows students to learn the basics of credit unions, call centers, account management, and much more.
“It was such an inspirational moment to be a part of what is likely a life-altering step for many of these graduates,” said Samantha Beeler, the President of LSCU, who also gave a commencement address to the graduates. “While industries across the country are currently struggling to find and retain trained workers, we are proud of the collaborative effort by Florida credit unions to continue to improve people’s lives, whether it is through credit union membership or by creating career opportunities for Floridians.”
This pilot program is a partnership between SECUF and Generation USA focused on increasing diversity and equity within the credit union industry by training unemployed and underemployed individuals to develop the skills to qualify for and be successful in careers in the credit union industry, removing barriers to employment through intentional recruitment and by creating a support structure, and creating a sustainable and skilled pipeline for credit unions.
The program begins with a free, five-week course training learners on the credit movement, the basics of entry-level positions–including teller and call center specialist positions–and overall career development through mindset and behavioral skills training. Graduates will move on to the six-week internship phase of the program. The credit unions that are providing internships include 121 Financial Credit Union, Publix Employees Federal Credit Union, JAX Federal Credit Union, and First Florida Credit Union. The next training program starts Monday, November 7, 2022, and is open to applicants in Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Orlando, Tampa, and Miami. More details about the application process can be found here.
About League of Southeastern Credit Unions & Affiliates (LSCU)
The League of Southeastern Credit Unions & Affiliates represents nearly 300 credit unions throughout Alabama, Florida, and Georgia and has a combined total of almost $200 billion in assets and more than 13.6 million members. LSCU provides advocacy, compliance services, education and training, cooperative initiatives, and communications. For more information, visit www.lscu.coop. Follow LSCU on Facebook, LinkedIn, and X.
ABOUT THE SOUTHEASTERN CREDIT UNION FOUNDATION
The Southeastern Credit Union Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the progressive professional development of credit union staff and volunteers, financial capability programs for all age groups, and the creation of valuable resources for our member credit unions and the communities they serve. The SECUF mission is to support economic growth by promoting financial wellness, sparking collaborative community initiatives, and providing disaster preparedness and relief to credit unions.
ABOUT GENERATION USA
Generation USA is a nonprofit that transforms education into employment systems to prepare, place and support people into life-changing careers that would otherwise be inaccessible. The global pandemic has led to an unprecedented surge in unemployment. Even before the pandemic, more than 75 million young adults were out of work globally, three times as many were underemployed, and 375 million workers of all ages needed to learn new skills by 2030. At the same time, certain jobs remain in high demand and 40 percent of employers say a skills shortage leaves them with entry-level vacancies. To date, more than 38,000 people have graduated from Generation programs, which prepare them for meaningful careers in 14 countries. Generation works with more than 3,900 employer partners and many implementation partners and funders. For more, visit usa.generation.org.
