Skilled to Work: Learning financial literacy

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - The Savannah-Chatham County Public School System’s Work Based Learning program prepares students for life after high school. They’re learning skills that could translate into a career right away.

Ta’Nayia Green and Mason Warren are ready and able to help you open a checking account or get a credit card after being hired by MembersFirst Credit Union during their senior year at Woodville-Tompkins High School.

“That’s what I want to do when I graduate college, probably working in a bank or credit union or something like that,” Warren said.

“We hire them as tellers, so obviously you know, simple deposits and withdrawals, but we’re also teaching them a lot about financial literacy,” MembersFirst Business Development Officer Ashley Dubois said.

“I’m here learning and experiencing stuff that I wouldn’t have if I didn’t have this opportunity,” Green said.

And it’s an experience Warren and Green don’t have to travel far to get.

“This is a unique opportunity for the students because the actual credit union is on campus. So, one of the things that we don’t have to worry about is transportation,” said Dr. Angie Lewis, with the SCCPSS Office of Career and College Readiness.

The school held a soft opening for the new credit union last September and then cut the ribbon on the student-run branch in January.

“We actually implemented this in two high schools on the Atlanta area, so I wanted to bring it here because our partnership with the whole school system has really grown over the last seven years. So we just always want to give you know the students the opportunity to be able to have that real world experience,” Dubois said.

New students will step up to replace Warren and Green after the spring, but the door is open.

“If they have goals and truly like being able to work for the credit union and want to move to one of our other branches after they finish here at the school, then we’ll give them that opportunity.”

Investing in the students’ future and the future of the company.

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