Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and Keesler Federal Credit Union held an Apprenticeship Signing Ceremony on February 6, at 10 a.m. at the college’s Advanced Manufacturing and Technology Center in Gulfport.

The Bank Branch Manager Apprenticeship Program, which officially began August 20, is the first financial-industry registered apprenticeship program in the state, as well as the only online-registered apprenticeship program in Mississippi.

“We are so pleased to partner with Keesler Federal Credit Union to offer this program, which is an incredible opportunity for KFCU’s current and future employees to advance in their careers,” said Dr. Mary S. Graham, MGCCC president.  “MGCCC is proud to offer workforce training to its industry partners that helps them grow and also helps South Mississippi’s residents prepare for careers and contribute to the local economy.”

“Keesler Federal has always placed high importance on employee training, and this partnership with MGCCC will take our branch manager training to a whole new level. This program not only expands our team’s knowledge, but provides a career path for managers, assistant managers and financial services representatives,” said Andy Swoger, Keesler Federal’s CEO and president. “Keesler Federal is proud to be the first financial institution in the state to offer this apprenticeship program. Everything we do at Keesler Federal is to create a better experience for our members, and by having better trained team members, they will ultimately be able to provide better service.”

The Department of Labor Standards permits granting credit for the demonstration of previous skills or knowledge, and there are nine current branch managers that will complete the program in fall of 2019.  The other 10 participants will complete the program by December 2020.

“Some of these students have worked at branches for years, but this is an evolving industry and you never quit learning.  The combination of advanced classroom knowledge with on-the-job experience is a win-win for everyone involved,” said Ruth Montana, Keesler Federal director of Human Resources. “The program is always paying dividends as two Keesler Federal apprentices have been promoted, and we certainly expect more to follow. Our employees have been extremely positive about the program and believe it will enhance their abilities to manage their branches more efficiently – which results in a better member experience.”

A traditional apprenticeship program has participants alternating work with school each week.  Because Keesler Federal apprentices are working full time in their regular positions and gaining on-the job training, the instructional portion of the program is completely online.

The program is 4,288 hours and includes a combination of seven classes with a total of 324.95 hours of instructional classes and 3963.05 hours of on-the-job learning.