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E*TRADE Bank, Arlington, VA

Entry Year: 2017
Entry Category: Financial Education
Asset Size: Medium
Program Name: How to Create a Spending Plan Even When Funds are Limited

Program Summary:

E*TRADE created a program on financial education in partnership with Goodwill of Greater Washington’s Career Center in Arlington, VA. The financial education program was designed to expand on Goodwill’s current workforce development program.

We’ve been in partnership with Goodwill for eight years and throughout those years E*TRADE employees have volunteered at the Arlington Career Center with students that have enrolled and completed the following programs:

• Security Job Training
• Hospitality Job Training
• Energy and Utility Job Training

The programs run from 5-9 weeks each with adult students who are either unemployed, under-employed, formerly incarcerated or immigrants. Students sign up for one of the above programs which provides them with industry recognized training, credentials and certifications once the program is completed and 1-on-1 job placement assistance.
In preparation for the job market, E*TRADE volunteers teach a financial education class every month on "How to Make a Budget Even when Funds are Limited" to begin to help each outgoing class understand the importance of managing their money, ways to reduce debt and setting up a budget. This curriculum was created by E*TRADE specifically for the Goodwill job trainees.

After the financial education classes, E*TRADE employees again volunteer by providing assistance and support in resume writing and mock interviewing. The resume writing sessions involve the volunteers working one-on-one with students to develop resumes and cover letters that highlight and identify their strengths. The mock interviewing sessions involve each student providing a resume and job description for his or her employment goal. The volunteers (practice interviewers) will base their questions on the unique goals of each student, provide verbal feedback, and complete an evaluation form.