First Gentleman Bob Eaves Begins Students@Work Week at State Employees' Credit Union!

RALEIGH, N.C., Feb. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- First Gentleman Bob Eaves visited the State Employees' Credit Union (SECU) Raleigh Centennial Parkway branch on Monday, January 31st to begin NC Business Committee for Education's Students@Work Week.  The First Gentlemen, along with SECU's Board of Director's Chairman Jim Barber and branch Vice President Tim Swinson, spoke with a group of students from Centennial Middle School about the importance of education in workplace success.  Later that day, Eaves traveled to SECU's Greensboro Summit Avenue branch to speak with students from Aycock Middle School, who were also on hand for a Credit Union branch tour and presentation.  Students@Work is a program initiated by the First Gentleman, which focuses on raising North Carolina's graduation rate by giving middle school students a chance to connect their classroom learning to real world workplace experiences.  SECU branches statewide participated in the campaign, which ran through February 4th.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110210/CL46414 )

Eaves launched the program in New Bern in 2010, encouraging businesses to provide job shadowing opportunities for middle school students.  With a strong collaborative effort between Eaves, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction and the North Carolina Business Committee for Education, this year's initiative grew to include more than 30 companies spanning all 100 North Carolina counties.

Swinson noted, "SECU employees enjoy the opportunity to speak with youth about financial education and career goals.  Students@Work provided us another great opportunity to reach out to local students, encouraging them to stay in school and work towards a successful career in a field of interest.  Job shadowing and workplace experiences can give students a better perspective of what they need to do to prepare for their future."

Barber, who welcomed the students and introduced Eaves at the Raleigh event added, "The branch tour allowed students to see first-hand how SECU employees use their education to help others in the service industry through a financial cooperative.  State Employees' Credit Union offers a wide array of services, requiring different talents and education expertise; and SECU encourages ongoing education.  Learning doesn't stop when you graduate – it's a lifelong process!"  

The Students@Work program focuses its efforts on middle school students because middle school is a crucial time for dropout prevention.  Out of every 100 students who enter the ninth grade, on average 71 graduate from high school and 29 drop out, according to the NC Department of Public Instruction. "Too many students don't see the value in their education," said Eaves. "We need to motivate these kids and let them see there is a bright future."

About SECU

SECU is a non-profit financial cooperative owned by its members. SECU has been providing the employees of the State of North Carolina and their families with consumer financial services for over 70 years. Currently serving more than 1.6 million members, SECU provides services through 236 branch offices, nearly 1,100 ATMs, 24/7 Contact Centers and a website, www.ncsecu.org.

SOURCE State Employees' Credit Union