Citizens Commits $10 Million to Workforce Development

Initiative Aims to Strengthen Talent Pipelines and Drive Economic Growth Across Citizens Footprint

PROVIDENCE, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Citizens announced today a commitment to provide $10 million over the next two years to support workforce development programs. Funding will support nonprofits working to enhance and expand access to educational and career opportunities, address the rapidly changing demands of the modern economy, and support long-term economic growth.

“Workforce development is a major focus for the bank and one that is top of mind for our clients and critical to the success of the communities we serve,” said Bruce Van Saun, Chairman & CEO of Citizens. “This investment is not just about supporting programs, it’s about supporting people – people who are ready to learn, to grow, and contribute to the economic vitality of our communities.”

Building the workforce of the future is a key focus of the bank’s Sustainability & Impact strategy. As a superregional bank, Citizens is uniquely positioned to convene industry and community leaders to understand and address local workforce challenges and ensure that the communities it serves are ready for the best possible tomorrow.

Driven by its community-informed approach, Citizens is committed to building innovative and impactful partnerships with national organizations like LISC, Year Up, Junior Achievement, Education Design Lab, Girls Who Code, and Council for Economic Education as well as hundreds of local community organizations across its footprint to provide accessible upskilling and reskilling services that create pathways to in-demand careers.

Recent partnerships include $1.6M in funding to expand Citizens’ Community College Accelerator program with Education Design Lab to 10 community colleges in Boston, New York City, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Rhode Island and a $600,000 grant to LISC New York and Central Brooklyn EDC to launch the Brooklyn Youth Offshore Wind Training Program to prepare local youth for future jobs in the emerging offshore wind industry.

The bank recently announced the results of a teen workforce development survey, published in partnership with Junior Achievement, that demonstrates the need for expanded upskilling programs. According to the JA Teen Workforce Survey conducted by Wakefield Research, teens ages 13-18 are optimistic about their futures and how the advancement in technology will impact them but are looking for support to acquire the needed skills.

To learn more Citizens’ Sustainability and Impact efforts, click here.

About Citizens Financial Group, Inc.

Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest financial institutions, with $219.9 billion in assets as of June 30, 2024. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Citizens offers a broad range of retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations and institutions. Citizens helps its customers reach their potential by listening to them and by understanding their needs in order to offer tailored advice, ideas and solutions. In Consumer Banking, Citizens provides an integrated experience that includes mobile and online banking, a full-service customer contact center and the convenience of approximately 3,300 ATMs and approximately 1,000 branches in 14 states and the District of Columbia. Consumer Banking products and services include a full range of banking, lending, savings, wealth management and small business offerings. In Commercial Banking, Citizens offers a broad complement of financial products and solutions, including lending and leasing, deposit and treasury management services, foreign exchange, interest rate and commodity risk management solutions, as well as loan syndication, corporate finance, merger and acquisition, and debt and equity capital markets capabilities. More information is available at www.citizensbank.com or visit us on X, LinkedIn or Facebook.