Scottsdale, AZ — Early Warning Services, LLC, owners of Zelle, today announces a sponsorship grant and hiring partnership with national nonprofit workforce development organization Merit America. The grant and partnership will provide technical skills training and career development opportunities to individuals without college degrees in the Phoenix Metro Area, where Early Warning’s headquarters is located in Scottsdale, Arizona. Opportunities are open to eligible individuals in the community as well as Early Warning’s employees.
The available programs offer training for in-demand technical skills including IT support, Data Analytics and Java Development, along with professional skills development and personalized career coaching to prepare learners for new roles. Through this partnership, Early Warning will help bolster the reach and impact of these programs by facilitating introductions to other local partners and employers, and by working with Merit America to source candidates and align on their career goals.
“We know there are many individuals in our local communities that aspire to pursue professional development opportunities, especially in technology,” said Natalie Schwimer, Chief People Officer at Early Warning. “Through our grant and partnership with Merit America, we are investing in the career growth of our employees and overall community by providing a new pathway for success.”
Merit America’s programs are designed to be flexible and accessible, allowing a diverse range of individuals to easily balance learning with work, family, and other personal obligations. The opportunities stemming from Early Warning’s grants will focus on serving underrepresented groups in tech, including women, gender-nonconforming and nonbinary individuals.
“We believe it should never be too hard or too late to advance your career, and so we are thrilled to partner with Early Warning to reach more learners in the Phoenix Metro Area,” said Rebecca Taber-Staehelin, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Merit America. “By breaking down roadblocks to career growth, we are preparing hardworking individuals for new careers with transformative wage gains that will translate into down-payments for homes, rainy day funds, or just a bit of breathing room during uncertain times.”
In partnership, Early Warning and Merit America teams will also collaborate to create additional opportunities for program participants through hosting networking events and streamlining the process for program completers to apply for careers at Early Warning. Merit America will assist Early Warning’s recruiters, hiring managers and leadership throughout the process to ensure successful and equitable candidate hiring.
ABOUT EARLY WARNING SERVICES
Early Warning Services, LLC is a fintech company owned by seven of the country's largest banks. For almost three decades, our identity, authentication, and payment solutions have been empowering financial institutions to make confident decisions, enable payments and mitigate fraud. Today, Early Warning is best known as the owner and operator of the Zelle Network®, a financial services network focused on transforming payment experiences. The combination of Early Warning's risk and payment solutions enables the financial services industry to move money fast, safely, and easily, so that people can live their best financial lives.
ABOUT MERIT AMERICA
Merit America is a national nonprofit preparing workers stuck in low-wage roles for family-sustaining careers at scale. Named by the New York Times as "the hybrid future of training programs for the disadvantaged,” we offer fast and flexible training and job search programs that work for working adults, and are aligned to the most in-demand roles in the fastest-growing sectors of the U.S. economy. Founded in 2018, we now serve thousands of working learners across the country, driving an average annual wage gain of nearly $19,000 for those who complete the program. We are on track to support $1B in wage gains by 2024. For more information, visit meritamerica.org.