CU*Answers, the West Michigan-based cooperative CUSO, announced that they have just completed their second round of their new Custom Certified Trainer program for Citizens First Credit Union in Oshkosh, WI to prepare their staff for their upcoming conversion to the CU*BASE^® software platform in November, 2014.  Pauline VanZalen, Manager of the CU*Answers Client Services and Education Team, states “In a nutshell, this program has been designed to prepare the credit unions on-site trainers to facilitate the training of CU*BASE to their staff.  A custom training program is designed for each credit union to accommodate the trainer’s schedules in an effort to teach them the software, as well as certify them to be CU*BASE software trainers.

VanZalen adds “CU*Answers is pleased with the responses they are receiving from clients going through this program. Melissa Goins from Notre Dame FCU, first to use the program, noted how it empowered her and her group of trainers “The CU*BASE Custom Certified Trainer Program was invaluable to those of us designated as trainers for our organization.  Not only did it educate us on performing basic transactions within CU*BASE, most importantly we were shown how to effectively train this information back to our staff.  The “train back” portion of the program was extremely effective in that it allowed us to practice our presentation skills, as well as learn from our peers.  By the time we began training our own staff, I felt confident and empowered to handle this responsibility.  I feel that the single most important thing that we could offer our partners (team members) was being able to relate our “old” core system to CU*BASE.  This gave them a point of reference and in many cases allowed them to pull from information they already knew, making the “new” core system less scary and intimidating.”