BankWork$ was developed to open a door for young adults and adults from low income and minority communities to help them find and succeed in well-paying jobs that can lead to a lasting career. Students are often those who otherwise would not be considered a qualified candidate for positions in banking/financial services. Participants in the BankWork$ program will be 18 years or older, have a high school diploma or GED, have basic computer skills, and previous cash handling and customer service experience. Employ Milwaukee will assess individuals prior to enrollment to ensure eligibility requirements are met. BankWork$ classes will be provided at no cost to the participants.
BankWork$ classes are held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM for eight weeks. Topics include workplace professionalism, deepening the customer relationship, financial services fundamentals, and preparing for employment. Employ Milwaukee will schedule days and times based on market demand. The classes will be delivered as a hybrid model.
BankWork$ cohorts are offered on the north and south sides of Milwaukee. If you are interested in joining a future cohort, please complete the inquiry form below.
After nine years as a blackjack dealer, Amber Farr was ready for something new. She felt drawn to the financial industry and applied to banking jobs but didn’t gain any traction due to lack of finance experience and challenges in navigating job interviews. She decided to apply for Employ Milwaukee’s BankWork$ program, which offers free banking training.
During BankWork$ classes, Amber learned about the financial industry, how to build rapport with customers, how to build a resume, and more. She appreciated the time spent learning how to answer tough interview questions, which she struggled with during her job search.
BankWork$ features a nationally recognized curriculum co-developed by financial services employers. Locally, BankWork$ is industry-driven with financial institutions participating in class presentations, mock interviews, and the graduation ceremony, which includes a hiring event where graduates are interviewed for open positions.
“The most impactful thing I learned was how to open up and be myself, and how to engage in interviews,” Amber said.
With her new skills and interviewing confidence gained from BankWork$, Amber was offered and accepted a job as a Teller at BMO Harris Bank right after her BankWork$ graduation in February 2025. She enjoys getting to know her customers and knows most of them by name.
“My instructor Miss Adriene was definitely hands on with a lot of things,” Amber said. “Everything she taught us, I’m definitely utilizing in the bank industry.”
Instructor Adriene Wright worked in the banking industry for nearly 30 years in a variety of roles, starting as a teller and moving up to a teller supervisor, interim branch manager, and corporate trainer. She brings her hands-on experience in banking to the classroom, preparing participants with the knowledge they need to succeed in the industry.
Since local financial institutions play a part in the BankWork$ training, program graduates who get hired come into the job with existing knowledge of company processes. The demand for bank tellers in Milwaukee County is higher than the national average, with around 26 job postings per month. Pay also exceeds the national average by $3,000 annually.
Amber is one of 110 BankWork$ graduates since 2019 to work at a local financial institution after completing the program.
BankWork$® is partnering with Employ Milwaukee and the Wisconsin Bankers Association (WBA) to expand its eight-week training program to southeastern Wisconsin at no cost to the trainee. BankWork$® is a public-private partnership that primarily trains participants from underserved neighborhoods for careers in retail banking. The Milwaukee partnership will place adults with barriers to employment, in jobs in the financial services industry. The program is currently operating in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, and Tacoma.
The BankWork$ December 2022 graduating class.
Training prepares job seekers for success in occupations including Bank Teller, Customer Service Representative, Relationship Banker and Personal Banker candidates to local banks/financial institutions. Training topics include workplace professionalism, deepening the customer relationship, financial services fundamentals, and preparing for employment. Employer partners receive exclusive access to a graduation ceremony and hiring event after each class! Employer partners will have 50-100 prepared candidates to interview each year.
Are you interested in becoming a BankWork$® employer partner?
For more information, please contact Oscar Delgado at 414-270-1785 at Oscar.Delgado@employmilwaukee.org.
Employ Milwaukee
2342 North 27th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53210
New Address as of January 2, 2026: 1322 North 8th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53205 (New location open to the public on February 2, 2026)
Phone: (414) 270-1700Fax: (414) 225-2375
Employ Milwaukee is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Service Provider. If you need this information in an alternate format, or in a different language at no cost to you, please contact us at (414) 270-1700. Deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired callers can contact us through Wisconsin Relay Service at 711.
