Associated Bank has been expanding its revamped training program, Associated University, based on a prototype location in Milwaukee.
The Milwaukee training space opened about a year and a half ago in the Milwaukee Center, 815 N. Water Street in Milwaukee, when the bank took advantage of a vacant space in the building.
“We had space that became available and we had a more central location in downtown Milwaukee whereby we could bring colleagues and really introduce them to the culture of our company in that space,” said Mary Thompson, director of talent at Associated Bank.
There are now other Associated University satellite locations in Madison, Stevens Point, at University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and in West Elgin, Ill. and Mendota Heights, Minn. The core Associated University Corporate at the Green Bay headquarters is being developed, and other satellite locations are expected to open across the bank’s footprint in the next few months, said Darcy Pierson, director of development and change management leadership.
“Ultimately, from a space planning perspective, Milwaukee was the first location that we were actually able to bring our conceptual idea into fruition,” and it has served as a prototype for the others, Pierson said.
Milwaukee’s talent acquisition team, about seven employees, is now based out of the 8,600-square-foot Milwaukee Associated University.
While Associated has always offered training for new and existing employees, Associated University was initially offered online. Now, Associated University locations offer more opportunities to conduct training sessions in person, which helps build stronger connections with colleagues, Thompson said.
Associated employees are encouraged to pursue development opportunities across the bank’s footprint, so they can step into other roles, said Stacey Murphy, director of talent management.
The bank uses Associated University to administer the College of Accelerated Learning Bank Manager Program, a four month course that trains employees in the retail setting to be bank managers; the Associated Bank Internship Program, a 10-week program that develops a feeder pool of job candidates; Leading Others, which develops supervisory and management fundamentals among existing employees; and Leading Leaders, an accelerated development program for select leaders.
A new program, the Commercial Analyst Training Program, was recently launched to recruit recent college graduates and existing employees for a 12-month rotational program to become a portfolio manager.
Murphy has been helping to strengthen Associated’s training offerings in anticipation of the company’s strategy since she joined the bank in July.
“When I joined … we had such a great general development foundation where we offer just a number of courses to all colleagues, and this is where we’re really redefining what that development looks like,” she said.
