How a Bank Built a Career Ladder for Restaurant Workers

The Diversity Career Podcast with Fexingo: Inclusion, Equity, and Underrepresented Professionals · Jun 24, 2026 · 7m · transcript

Millions of restaurant workers have transferable skills—customer service, speed under pressure, cash handling—but rarely get a look from corporate employers. Lucas and Luna examine how one regional bank, Commerce Bancshares, designed a two-year paid apprenticeship for former restaurant staff, converting them into tellers, loan processors, and branch managers. The program includes paid classroom training, a dedicated mentor, and a guaranteed interview at completion. We walk through the retention data: 89 percent of graduates are still at the bank two years later, compared to 62 percent of…