Apprenticeship helps Grayson High grad carve out career at local credit union
Gwinnett Daily Post
Grayson High School Alumnus Ezekiel Wieder calls it the proverbial foot in the door he needed. Ten years ago, he interviewed to participate in an apprentice program with Delta Community Credit Union.
“I still remember asking them at the end of the interview if there were opportunities once the apprenticeship was over,” Wieder recalled.
There were.
Wieder did not know it then, but the high school apprentice program would shape his career. Today, he has held six positions within Delta Community, advancing each time. His most recent promotion happened in early March, taking on the role of business operations manager. He now leads a team of analysts tasked with increasing efficiency in the financial institution’s processes.
“I would recommend the High School Apprentice Program to everyone,” Wieder said. “I found out about the program through my work-based learning coordinator, and I recall being very excited for the opportunity because I wanted to work in a professional environment, and it was really hard finding that first job.”
Delta Community offers apprenticeship opportunities through the state’s work-based learning program and allows participants to work 15 to 20 hours a week in the branches as tellers. It allowed Wieder to work at Delta Community’s branch in Snellville. He worked directly with members, learning customer service skills and processing various financial transactions such as withdrawals, deposits, and loan payments. He credits his development and success to what he learned during that time.
“We had great leaders at the branch who taught me how to dig deeper and look for what members need, and how to have conversations with them about their finances so I could offer solutions,” Wieder said. “I’ve used that mindset in every role throughout my career.”
More than 200 students have participated in the program since it launched in 2006, and this spring, Delta Community will begin interviewing upcoming high school seniors and juniors in the 2024-2025 school year to participate in the program, starting in the summer. The credit union again has 24 apprenticeship spots open. If filled, it would be one of the program’s largest classes.
Wieder is excited to see the program thrive and give the next generation of job seekers the same opportunities he received.
“I would do it a hundred times over,” he said.
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