MB Financial Bank Increases Pathways to Livable Wage Employment for Chicago Youth
25 October 2017 - 7:30AM
MB Financial, Inc. (the “Company”) (NASDAQ:MBFI), the holding
company for MB Financial Bank, N.A. (the “Bank,” and together with
the Company, “MB”), today announced it will expand the MB on the
Block: Education curriculum, a program aimed at helping high school
students earn a living wage by their mid-twenties, for the 2017-18
school terms by offering certificate credential programs as well as
an employee mentoring program.
“We recognized that in many Chicago Public High Schools,
students are graduating without the plans in place to succeed in
college or their careers, significantly limiting their future
potential,” said Mitch Feiger, CEO and President of MB Financial,
Inc. “We saw an opportunity to get involved and help these young
people identify pathways where they can prosper. The better
educated the youth in our communities are, the better jobs they can
get, the higher standard of living they can achieve which
positively impacts our communities and our city.”
MB on the Block: Education helps students find a path that is
best for them – whether it is college, career readiness, or
technical training – to increase the number of students on track
towards good paying, in-demand jobs.
MB on the Block: Education provides services to over 800
students at Gage Park High School and Wells Community Academy High
School that address the complex issues often facing this student
population of urban youth. Each student receives support starting
their freshman year and continuing beyond graduation with ongoing
college and job training assistance.
Since the program’s launch in 2015, 266 students have graduated
high school, 91% were accepted to college, 3% enlisted in the
military and 17% entered a job readiness program.
“I am just as concerned with the students who aren’t going to
college as those that are,” commented Brian Metcalf, Chicago Public
Schools, Chief of Schools Network Six and former Gage Park High
School Principal. “Through this public-private partnership we have
planning resources for every student and not solely a focus on
college-bound students. I think this is going to be a new model for
underserved communities.”
The continuum of services offered in the program includes:
- Newly renovated career and college centers
- Cumulative four-year social/emotional curriculum
- On-site, salaried career coaches
- Ongoing college support through on-campus guidance, mentoring,
and follow-up
- Opportunities for internships at MB and at MB client
companies
“Gage Park and Wells Community Academy High Schools, like many
schools in Chicago, are anchor community institutions in low- and
moderate-income areas,” said Debbie Kobak, President of the MB
Financial Bank Charitable Foundation. “MB believes that by
investing in young people at this critical time in their lives we
can prepare more students for success post-high school, leading to
better outcomes for them, their families, and the communities they
live in.”
About MB Financial Bank and MB Financial, Inc. MB
Financial, Inc., (Nasdaq:MBFI), is the Chicago-based holding
company for MB Financial Bank, N.A. (“MB”) which has approximately
$20 billion in assets and a more than one hundred year history of
building deep and lasting relationships with middle-market
companies and individuals. MB offers a full range of powerful
financial solutions and the expertise and experience of bankers who
are focused on their clients’ success. Learn more about MB by
visiting www.mbfinancial.com.
Contact:Karen A. Perlman(847)
653-1788kperlman@mbfinancial.com
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