An Air Force veteran’s story
Citizens First Bank is proud to be a Skill Bridge partner and to have Shane on our staff. We want to share Shane’s thoughts, in his words, as we all observe Veterans’ Day and thank the military and their families for their service.
From Air Force Blues to CFB Blues, Shane served 24 years in the Air Force, all overseas. Born in Clinton, IA, but having moved away as a child and joining the Air Force in 1999, Shane was looking to come back to his roots to be reunited with his parents and extended family after being away so long. CFB met with Shane last summer and recruited him to join our team, his background in Finance Customer Service is a good fit. After serving the United States Air Force for 24 years, he is here ready to serve you at CFB…where our citizens come first!
Program Overview
The Department of Defense (DOD) Skill Bridge program is an opportunity for service members to gain valuable civilian work experience through specific industry training, apprenticeships, or internships during their last 180 days of service. Skill Bridge connects service members with industry partners in real-world job experiences. The program allows service members to learn skills prior to departing the military so that they can find work upon discharge.
In Shane’s words:
“Last summer I was making plans to retire from the air force and live in Fulton, IL, but I did not have a business lined up. I was explaining to my cousin I was looking for a business to work with (maybe banking since I worked Finance Customer Service in the Air Force) and my cousin’s husband hooked me up with Evan. I sat with him and explained a little bit about the Skill Bridge program, he spoke with management and I got the green light. He passed me over to Emily and she created a training schedule for me that matched the number of days I would do the program (about 4 months).
There is no obligation on either part after the program is complete, but I am happy to be staying on board at Citizens First.
CFB is a vetted company in the eyes of Dept. of Defense, so now it would speed the process for the next Skill Bridge applicant (Emily took care of that). It’s a win for all involved in my opinion. I get to move home and learn banking while the bank gets an intern/employee.”
Citizens First Bank has been fortunate to learn from Shane’s perspective and he has been a great contributor to our team. Thank you, Shane, for sharing your experience with us!