Pub. 10 2020-2021 Issue 4

O V E R A C E N T U R Y : B U I L D I N G B E T T E R B A N K S — H E L P I N G C O L O R A D A N S R E A L I Z E D R E A M S www.coloradobankers.org 6 MSU Denver President Janine Davidson said, “We’re eager to engagewith industry partners to develop workforce pipelines that benefit our students and guarantee employers can find the talent they need, right here in Colorado. Companies know they’re getting quality employees when they hire MSU Denver graduates, most of whom work while in school and can hit the ground running after graduation.” JeniferWaller, presidentof theColorado Bankers Association, said MSU Denver’s new program is an excellent step toward assisting financial institutions in growing the talent pool it needs to pull from. “We are thrilled about this new de- velopment for Colorado’s banking work- force,” Waller said. Those of us in the industry know-how rewarding a career in banking can be — not just with rates of income and good benefits but also with the impact bankersmake in their custom- ers’ lives. We are excited for new ranks of bankers to find that out for themselves.” Waller added that bankers’ opportu- nities are more varied and multifaceted today than ever before – not just for new bankers but for experienced bankers, too. “Many banks offer continuing edu - cation benefits and help employees with schooling expenses,” Waller said. “This new program is going to open a lot of doors for a lot of people.” Concentrating on the future MSU Denver’s banking degree in - cludes courses on banking operations, risk analysis, financial markets and personal selling. Hernández-Julián, who taught the first Intro to Banking course at the University last fall, said the students in the first cohort were eager to help shape the class. “It isn’t a course that’s commonly available, where you can grab a textbook off the shelf and teach the course. It’s a pretty new set of concepts and ideas, so there was a lot of learning by doing,” he said. Alec Sheeder is on track to be MSU Denver’s first banking graduate in spring 2021 after switching his major from fi - nance. He is interested in underwriting and has a concentration in financial analysis, one of two optional concentra - tions within the banking degree, along with compliance. “I wanted to go into banking because banks populate our lives — they’re ev - erywhere,” Sheeder said. “I felt like it was a practical area that will always be in demand, and if there’s something I can do to make banking easier or better for everyone, that will be a great thing.” n Mi Casa operates a four-week training programtohelpconnectpeople tostaffroles in banks and credit unions. Participants earn up to nine college credits at CCA in the process and are guaranteed three job interviews after completion. Those who complete the Mi Casa programcancompletesevenmorecreditsat CCAtoearnabanking-essentialscertificate, designed to provide all the skills someone would need in their first two years of retail banking employment. CCA offers another 16-credit certificate called supervision fundamentals, which people can complete as they’re climbing the ladder at work. All 32 credits gained through the Mi Casa and CCA programs can be applied toward MSU Denver’s new banking degree, designed in collaboration with representatives from the banking and credit-union communities to develop an industry-responsive curriculum. Those already working in the field who don’t have a degree can enter the pathway at CCA or MSU Denver and take exams to earn prior learning credit — earning college credit for what they already know before taking a class. MSU Denver student Jade Gomez takes notes during one of the first Intro to Banking courses offered at the University. Photo by Alyson McClaran continued from the previous page