Caminos Finance 

Caminos Finance is a 9-week training program where candidates will learn the basics of becoming a Bilingual Teller/Customer Service Representative at a Bank or Credit Union. Participants will enhance their employability and professional skills, increasing their confidence when searching, applying and interviewing for jobs. The 9-week program includes a 3-credit class at Madison College on Personal Finance. Throughout the program, Participants will connect with potential employers, and explore career opportunities in the finance field. Upon completion of the program participants will receive 12 months of case management and job coaching.  

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Program sessions are offered 3 times a year (Spring, Summer, Fall)

Two sessions are regular 9-week program format (about 2 months)

One session is an accelerated 5-week class that is for participants who are technology savvy.

This version does not include the 3-Credit class from Madison College*

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During the process, students will gain knowledge on:  

• Personal Finance 
• Job Readiness: Resume, cover letter, Employer Mock interviews   
• Overview of Customer Service  
• Communication  
• Building Relationships and Rapport  
• Role of Financial Services Professional  
• Understanding Customer Needs  
• Cash Handling  
• Counterfeit Currency  
• Check Fundamentals  
• Compliance Regulations  
• Technology in Banking  
• Safety and Security  
• Confidentiality and Information Protection 

Requirements: 

• 18 years old or older 
  
• GED / High School Diploma 
  
• Completed High School in country of origin (access to original documents is required) 
  
• English must be second language (advanced/proficient level) 
  
• A minimum score of 240 on the Accuplacer placement reading test 
  
• Knowledge of computer skills (intermediate to advanced level) 
  
• Authorized to work in the US 
  
• No criminal record 

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​​You will also connect with potential employers, gain employment, and explore career opportunities in the finance sector.
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Selected participants will receive a scholarship, case management, an ELL-supported Personal Finance 3-credit course at Madison College.  The goal is to obtain the necessary skills to join a financial institution as Bilingual Customer Service Representative (banker/teller).  ​

Contact Us

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​Contact information: 
       
​Caminos Finance Career Pathways Specialist 
Irma Varela
[email protected]
  608-640-7949

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Success Story: María Isabel
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​María Isabel is from Colombia, a mother of six, and an example of courage and resilience. She’s moved by the motto of “it’s never too late to start over.” Four years ago, she moved to Madison without knowing English. At the time, she was an architect with two years of experience in Colombia.

During her interview at Centro Hispano, she shared that she worked at a factory, Stoughton Trailers, where she learned a little bit of everything, and where she learned English. Centro Hispano remembered her story vividly because she mentioned she used to communicate with drawings and signs with her supervisor. But María Isabel was relentless, and not only learned English, but has also opened her own cleaning business and began driving for Uber.

In 2018, she learned about the Caminos Finance program through a flier at Madison College. At that time, she couldn’t join, but in the fall of 2019, she took the leap and enrolled in the next cohort. As the pandemic continued, María Isabel started doing Uber Eats as a way to keep providing for her family.

​Witnessing Maria’s growth and confidence this year has been a fulfilling. María’s experience, charisma, resilience, and persistence to be better every day has taken her to where she is now. Even though it took some time for María to take the next step in her career and apply for a Customer Service Representative position, she decided to apply at Park Bank and was hired in August earning $15/hr. A month later, we received an email from María’s supervisor sharing the amazing work María was doing and that she was going to be trained to work on ITMs (Interactive Teller Machine).

​We were beyond happy and excited for Maria as we knew what this meant for her, taking her confidence to the next level and being a role model for many. This is what María wrote to us in an email. “I’m very thankful for having the opportunity of being a graduate of Caminos Finance. Thanks to this opportunity, I’m growing professionally and the quality of life of family and mine is improving… just being with the best is that you can become your best and that’s what Caminos Finance is for me.”

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MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF 

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OUR PARTNERS