Port Washington bank earns ABA award for job education program

Northwestern Financial Review, Feb 20, 1999 by Olmsted, Monte

Once too often, prospective employees walked into Port Washington State Bank 25 miles north of Milwaukee not having a clue about the etiquette usually needed to get a job.

A few didn't dress properly, clad in blue jeans rather than a dress suit or shirt-and-tie. Some didn't know how to properly fill out a job application. Still others were unsure how to conduct themselves in a job interview.

In part, the bank was seeing the after-effects of Wisconsin's welfare reform program as thousands of people were reentering the job market, but needed tips in the job search process. Port Washington State Bank's Melanie Lorge and Ronnie Morgan decided to take action.

They created a one-day employment seminar, "How To Get A Job And Keep It," a program that earned the Port Washington bank a national honor, the American Bankers Association Education Foundation's Outstanding Contributions to Consumer Education Award.

Lorge said welfare reform was part of what prompted the bank to launch the program, recognized by the ABA in December.

"In our area, it's difficult to find new employees, and Ronnie and I had some concern because when people came into the bank to apply for a job, they were really not prepared," said Lorge, the bank's vice president and compliance officer.

"How To Get A Job And Keep It" was designed as a "self-esteem builder" to help people who have been out of the workforce recognize their talents, and show them how to earn a paycheck again, said Morgan, the bank's senior mortgage underwriter.

The one-dav seminar, held in October 1997, attracted 10 people-nine women and a man. The diverse group included three people with education beyond high school including a former university teacher who suffered from multiple sclerosis and struggled with finding employment because of her disability. Others included a stay-at-home mom going through a divorce, a woman preparing to return to work once her child reached school age, and a longtime self-employed man, whose family firm was going out of business.

"It was really neat to watch all the people interact because they all had the same problems, but they were coming from different backgrounds. We had a wide range of people," Lorge said.

Seven months after participating in the program, four people obtained jobs, Morgan said. One woman, for example, was hired for a secretarial position.

"We went into this hoping to get 10 participants-people willing to step out and say, 'Hey, I need help.' We got 10. The second thing we had hoped for was that at least two or more were able to get a job from what they learned," Morgan said.

They learned a lot.

The three goals were to teach people how to find a job, basic office skills and how to keep a job. Among the things participants learned were resume writing and interview skills including speaking clearly, no smoking nor gum chewing, and thanking the interviewer. Other topics included learning about bus routes, special funding for childcare, computer training, the Internet and how long a paycheck will last.

Self-esteem training encouraged the participants to network, and Lorge said the group did this well among themselves. A few shared car rides, while others didn't hesitate to share news of job openings.

The bank wasn't the only organization involved with the seminar, which took place at the Workforce Development Center in nearby Grafton. Other agencies involved included the University of Wisconsin-Ozaukee County, which provided budget counseling; Ozaukee County Express, taxi service providers since most of the program participants didn't have a car; Ozaukee County's Community Coordinated Child Care program, and local churches and high school volunteers who provided day care.

Lorge said the bank was proud of the teamwork having so many agencies involved. The seminar's success has the $190 million Port Washington State Bank considering starting a similar program for high school graduates who don't plan to continue their education.

"This was an opportunity to show the public that a business-the bank-is willing to help people work with this problem," said Lorge. "More businesses need to do that, especially because of (Wisconsin's welfare reform) or just because of the job market situation in our area. Employers are begging for qualified people, and this was an opportunity to say, 'We're willing to help you get a leg up on this and get a job.' "