In early 2017 Cliff Ragadio retired after 20 years of Army service and faced a daunting decision – what’s next?
At 39, Ragadio wanted to grow beyond the structured life that he had enjoyed since 19, and he still needed the financial capacity to help his children through college. He wanted room to grow and a career path where his discipline, dedication and desire to help people would be put to good use.
BankWork$ at Milgard, a new Goodwill and YWCA partnership, became his gateway to a new opportunity. As a free program underwritten by the banking industry and WorkForce Central he wouldn’t have to spend a lot of time or money on a college degree and would enter a field of high demand and growth.
“BankWorks training gave me the confidence to impress during the interview process,” said Ragadio. “The knowledge and experience of Mercedes, Shelley and their team drilled into me and my classmates the importance of putting your best foot forward and impressing upon others. Immediately after graduation, the entire class attended a job fair with more than 15 different banks. I was offered positions on the spot from a few banks, thanks to the training and mock interviews we did in class. The hardest part for me attending BankWorks was picking which bank to go with!”
