The Los Angeles Post

Fifth Third Bank Partners to Offer Free Career and Financial Coaching

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Expands availability of NextJob toolkit, offers Operation HOPE financial recovery services to help those impacted by COVID-19

CINCINNATI, May 21, 2020 – Fifth Third Bank, National Association, today announced it is making its NextJob Job Seekers Toolkit available to the public through January 2021. It also is offering Operation HOPE’s financial coaching services to individuals and small businesses. These two programs are among the Bank’s efforts to assist those who are seeking jobs, either temporarily or permanently, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to assist people with understanding and overseeing their finances.

“We want to empower individuals, families and small business owners to manage their finances, reduce their anxiety and assist with their ability to rebound from this crisis,” said Greg D. Carmichael, chairman, president and CEO of Fifth Third Bank. “We are proud to expand our collaboration with NextJob and Operation HOPE to deliver assistance across our footprint to help equip people with the skills to succeed in their next job opportunity and assist them with reestablishing their financial stability.”

Fifth Third initiated the partnership with NextJob, a nationwide reemployment solutions company, in 2012 to launch the program to assist individuals facing mortgage hardship due to job loss. In 2016, an enhanced version of the program became part of the Bank’s five-year, $32 billion Community Commitment.

The NextJob toolkit, which previously had exclusively been offered to Fifth Third customers, is now offered through the Bank’s Workforce Development Program. It is an educational resource for those looking to enter the job market or secure a different job opportunity. It offers lessons and video advice from job-search experts, hiring managers and job seekers, as well as additional tools and activities. The information focuses on career literacy topics such as transferable skills, resume writing, networking, interviewing tips and how to use social media to land hidden jobs.

Fifth Third and NextJob are also expanding its Toolkit offerings to help community partners and their job seekers through job coaching scholarships and virtual workshops covering topics such as job search strategies during hard economic times.

“We are pleased to partner with Fifth Third to offer these tools to those who are seeking jobs,” said John Courtney, NextJob’s CEO. “The pandemic has severely impacted the workforce, and we want to do everything we can to empower people and to assist them with getting back to work.”

Operation HOPE serves as one of the nation’s first lines of disaster response through its financial preparedness and recovery division, HOPE Inside Disaster. Through partnerships with the American Red Cross, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency and industry leaders, HOPE teams deploy in response to federally declared disasters to serve as financial advocates and intermediaries for affected homeowners, renters and small business owners. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization’s financial wellbeing coaches are providing financial recovery coaching, like assistance with CARES Act qualifications, debt deferment, credit counseling, recovery budgets, guidance obtaining small business loans and referrals for recovery support.

John Hope Bryant, founder, chairman and chief executive of Operation HOPE, said it is critical to work with companies like Fifth Third to bring financial recovery solutions to the public, especially during times of crisis. “We are proud to partner with Fifth Third to connect us to individuals, families and small business owners who need our guidance and resources during these times,” he said. “We are confident that our partnership will give us the opportunity to collectively reach those who need our services the most.”

Fifth Third and Operation HOPE are partnering to provide free virtual financial coaching services to individuals, families and small business owners who have been affected by COVID-19.  It will also provide opportunities for Fifth Third Bank employees to volunteer and assist with recovery and response efforts as subject matter experts.

For more information about the Bank’s expanded NextJob Job Seeker’s Toolkit in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit here. To learn more about Operation HOPE, please visit here.