Announcing Next Level: FAQs
Before the pandemic, 95% of employed young women* in Canada were working in the services sector. Young women were the first to be sent home, and the last to return to work as things begin to reopen.
Today, young women are the furthest group from returning “back to normal” in the workforce. Young women are suffering employment losses three times the national average.
Next Level is G(irls)20’s response to this urgent disruption caused by COVID-19. Through this pilot program, we will provide young women and non-binary youth from the retail and hospitality sectors in Canada with leadership and social entrepreneurship training along with supportive coaching to navigate the changing economy on their own terms.
G(irls)20's Next Level project is funded by the Government of Canada under the Future Skills program.
WHY NOW
Prior to COVID, 95% of employed young women* were working in the services sector, predominantly in hospitality or retail. As of March 2021, young women in Canada (20-24) are suffering employment losses three times worse than the average – placing them the furthest of any demographic away from pre-COVID numbers. We must get creative to ensure an entire generation of young women are not left behind – by building new pathways for young women to navigate a changing economy and access economic mobility.
*For the purposes of this project, we use “young women” when referencing Statistics Canada data, which currently does not collect or report on data that reflects the gender spectrum. G(irls)20’s Next Level project is committed to equity and gender inclusion, and seeks to support any women-identified and gender non-binary youth who meet the eligibility criteria.
HOW IT WORKS
In this pilot we’re recruiting 50 participants + 25 coaches from across Canada! (See below for “Participant Eligibility”.) The programs will run over the course of four months, tentatively from November 2021 – February 2022. During this time, we will meet online using G(irls)20 Academy, powered by LearnWorlds. We’ll have live workshops with world-class facilitators on leadership topics such as: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome, Negotiating, Marketing & Personal Branding, and Social Entrepreneurship.
Participants will also be paired in groups with one other participant and a trained coach. The group will meet twice per month during the program to set and work through their personal and professional goals.
PARTICIPANT ELIGIBILITY
Young women and non-binary youth aged 20-24 years old (as of May 2021) living anywhere in Canada;
Must have held a full-time or part-time job in hospitality (e.g. restaurants, bars, hotels, fast food etc.) or retail (shop, mall, etc.) in the past two years.
No education is required.
No references are required.
A written and video application is required to apply.
COACH ELIGIBILITY
Women and non-binary adults with professional experience in entrepreneurship, start-ups, non-profits, social impact and/or other related professions.
Bring coaching or mentorship experience and a passion for working with young leaders.
Able and willing to dedicate 4-6 hours per month for minimum 4 months.
Understanding of and empathy for how intersectionality, power and privilege interact with young women and non-binary youth’s experiences in the workforce and in leadership.
PILOT TIMELINE
Tentative timeline subject to changes.
July 2021 – Next Level Pilot Announcement & Announcing the Advisory Committee
August 2021 – Recruitment for Participants and Coaches Begins
September 2021 – Applications for prospective Participants and Coaches Close
October 2021 – Participants and Coaches Accepted into Program
November 2021 – Program Begins
February 2022 – Program Ends
March 2022 – Evaluation and Dissemination of Key Learnings
MEASURING IMPACT
What do we hope to attain through this pilot? These are some outcomes we imagine participants will achieve:
Young women are able to build “next level” skills and build autonomy within or away from the services sector;
Young women increase their confidence and self-efficacy necessary to navigate their own careers;
Young women create the peer and mentorship networks to leverage as they navigate the changing economy;
G(irls)20 generates new research on equity-informed, grassroots approaches to upskilling programming specific to young women.
REMOVING BARRIERS
Participants will receive a stipend upon completion of the project, as well as a technology stipend as needed.
ABOUT G(IRLS)20
G(irls)20 is a globally-active, Canadian charity working to advance the full participation of young women in decision-making spaces to change the status quo. For over ten years, we have delivered top-notch leadership training programs for young women bridging technical and social-emotional skills. NEXT LEVEL is our response to the urgent crisis posed by COVID-19 in Canada, that has seen young women disproportionately pushed out of the economy and left behind in the recovery.