Nusenda Credit Union is pleased to continue its partnership with Central New Mexico Community College and Albuquerque Public Schools’ Career Enrichment Center (CEC) to hold the Financial Services Career Exploration course. This course, available
at no cost for Albuquerque metro-area high school students, is part of Nusenda’s ongoing support of financial literacy education for New Mexicans. The award-winning program helps young people gain sound financial skills and knowledge, earn credits
toward high school and college, and participate in career exploration.
The Financial Services Career Exploration course concept has won numerous awards, including a Strada Education Pathways with a Purpose award from the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the SHIFT award — a national, gold-level distinction
by Innovate+Educate and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) New Mexico State Council for connecting unemployed and underserved Americans to new paths of employment, training, and economic opportunity.
According to youth.gov, a government agency collaborative focused on youth issues, many young people reach adulthood without the basic financial knowledge and skills critical for establishing healthy
financial futures. Compared with peers in other nations, U.S. 15-year-olds rank in the middle of countries and economies who participated
in a financial literacy assessment. Socio-economic and immigration status, as well as sex/gender, were determining factors for financial literacy. Young people who hold a bank account or payment/debit card showed a marked improvement in financial
literacy skills; however, socio-economic advantage played a large role in whether a young person had a bank account or payment/debit card.
“Studies show that providing financial education early in life, and at critical points in young people’s development, correlates to better financial decisions for themselves and their families in the future and encourages better budgeting, debt management, and investing,” said
Nusenda’s Vice President of Community Engagement Sara Keller. “This course and other financial education opportunities that we provide for the community, at no charge, remove barriers to future economic success for New Mexico’s next generation of leaders.”
Nusenda’s Financial Services Career Exploration course introduces students to career pathways in the financial service industry and helps them gain skills to manage their finances. Once students complete the course, they can apply for a paid internship
with Nusenda Credit Union, receiving compensation based on their learning experience.
Course topics include:
- Financial careers and education pathways
- Traditional and alternative financial institutions
- Budgeting and saving
- Credit, debt, and empowered financial decisions
“This internship is a mutually beneficial program. It helps students explore promising professions for themselves and helps us attract and develop new and diverse talent into our industry,” said Nusenda Chief Human Resources
Officer Tracy Bredeson. “Hundreds of high school students have been through the program. It’s very common for students to take jobs when their internships are completed.”
The fall 2021 Financial Services Career Exploration course runs from Sept. 20 to Dec. 12, 2021 (course registration number 75600). It will be held in-person at the CEC on Mondays and Wednesdays or Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:30 to 1:50 p.m.
To register, students can enroll with their high school counselors and through CNM. For more information about enrolling for dual credit and this course, visit cnm.edu/depts/outreach/dual-credit/dual-credit-register or email Nusenda’s Director of Financial Capability, Amanda Reyes, at [email protected].