Career Path Services Receives a $30,000 South Sound Career Training Grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation

LAKEWOOD, Wash. – November 21st, 2024 – Career Path Services has received a grant of $30,000 from the Wells Fargo Foundation to provide banking industry career training for students in the South Sound. The grant will be used to support Career Path Services’ BankWork$ (BW$) goal of serving 60 students in 2025.

BW$ is a public-private partnership that opens career opportunities for low-income and marginalized communities in the South Sound. It connects job seekers to banking careers, preparing them for long-term, sustainable careers.

“My life changed completely after I graduated. The Bankwork$ program helped me prepare for the job by teaching me the value of customer service and how every day and every interaction can lead to a positive outcome. Without your support none of this could have happened to me. Thank you for helping people like me have an opportunity to get a better job and better life,” remarked one student who completed the program.

Our Lakewood-based BankWork$ (BW$) offers four cohorts/year, delivering free in-person and online standardized curriculum that promotes sustainable careers. In eight weeks, students acquire the skills necessary to enter and retain employment in banking. Through resume preparation, mock interviews, and job fairs with employer partners, our students are prepared to accept employment offers upon graduation.

This grant will assist us in continuing to support digital and financial equity/capacity building in low-income South Puget Sound residents. Additionally, all students will be given access to free financial training and education.

BW$ removes access barriers for those who fall into Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed (ALICE) status. According to the most recent ALICE report, 31% of Pierce County residents in 2021 qualified for ALICE or Federal Poverty Level (FPL) status.

BW$ provides the key to accessible careers for those who live paycheck to paycheck but are ineligible for government assistance because they do not meet FPL requirements. By bridging the gaps that keep individuals stuck in ALICE, BW$ students receive access to wraparound support including food, childcare, professional attire, and rental assistance necessary to graduate and be placed into banking careers.

About Career Path Services

As one of the leading workforce and human services nonprofits in Washington State, Career Path Services has provided career pathways to over 257,500 low-income, unemployed, under-represented, and displaced individuals across 26 counties since 1971.

We consistently champion excellence and performance, lending to a common vision in partnership with the Department of Social and Health Services, Employment Security Department, Department of Commerce, local workforce councils, and community organizations. Operating from mutual trust and vision alignment, we serve job seekers and businesses, formulating innovative solutions to employment barriers.

For more information, please check out our website at www.careerpathservices.org

Media Contact:

Sara Sheldon

Work$ Program Manager

Career Path Services

509-326-7520

Lisa Grund Organizational Development Partner & Career Path Services Media Correspondence

Career Path Services 425-879-9028