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W O R K F O R M E / S P R I N G 2 0 2 1 20 I n 2015 after Chris Mbalazamo ar- rived in Maine from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he opened an account at C Port Credit Union. He's now a teller at C Port's Riverside branch Portland, after graduating from the 12-week New Mainer Teller Training Program. It was launched in 2020 by Portland Adult Education in partnership with six financial institutions, including C Port. "When I was growing up, my dream job was to be working at a bank," Mbalazamo says. Hired as a teller last June, the Southern Maine Community College business administration graduate aims to further his education and become an accountant one day. "I'm going after my goals and I keep making my mom proud," he says. Vienna Dunn, a single mother from China who went through the same training program, was hired in March as a full-time teller at Bath Savings Bank in Yarmouth. The former waitress finds her new job much more fulfilling. "My friends always think when you be- come a bank teller you have to go to college and get a degree," she says. "I say 'No, you just need to be honest and patient and just want to work hard, and you'll get a job.'" The 2021 class began in an online format this past January, funded with $25,000 from eight financial institutions, who also provide teaching support. "It's a fabulous program, and we'll do whatever is needed," says C Port President and CEO Gene Ardito. n New Mainers land teller jobs Training program opens doors for immigrants B Y R E N E E C O R D E S P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F P O R T L A N D P U B L I C S C H O O L S P H O T O / J A M E S R . S A L O M O N Vienna Dunn, full-time teller at Bath Savings Bank in Yarmouth Congolese native Chris Mbalazamo, a teller at C Port Credit Union's Riverside branch in Portland, is a graduate of Portland Adult Education's New Mainer Teller Training Program. F i n a n c i a l S e r v i c e s

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