Services to social impact

The COVID-19 pandemic and related lockdowns disproportionately affected the service and hospitality industry and the large numbers of young women that worked in the sector. 

To support them in making career changes, the G(irls)20’s Services to Social Impact Project provided online workshops and coaching to help young women in the service industry develop transferable social-emotional skills in leadership and confidence, communications, business literacy, job interviewing and networking.

Group of young woman clapping during an event.

Initially, the project aimed to support young women to transition out of the service industry and into social entrepreneurship. However, given the volatile state of the economy and goals of its participants, the project realized this was too ambitious. Instead, it pivoted to the development of transferable social-emotional skills. 

Despite the challenges this pivot created, after participating in the project, the women felt more knowledgeable about professional communication, negotiation strategies, steps needed for career transitions and the different career paths that were open to them. 

The project did highlight the importance of flexibility in the face of changing circumstances in the external environment in order to meet and support participants where they are.

Featured Projects

two students working on a technical project
Research

Best Practices for Advancing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Manufacturing

While research underscores the challenges in the manufacturing sector, considerable gaps exist in our understanding of the representation and barriers women and other equity-deserving groups face. This report draws upon Statistics Canada data, surveys, industry reports and publicly available resources to provide an overview of the current state and strategic challenges, and their intersection with EDI issues.
Seated person smiling during a meeting
Project

Reboot Plus Expansion

The Reboot Plus Expansion program, led by Douglas College and PEERs Employment & Education Resources, aims to re-engage youth aged 17–24 who are at risk of not finishing high school or are unsure of their academic and career trajectories.
Project

Micro-credentialing for the Canadian Aviation and Aerospace Industry

The Canadian aviation and aerospace industry currently faces challenges recruiting, training and retaining a qualified workforce. To address this issue, the Canadian Council for Aviation and Aerospace (CCAA) developed and tested a digital learning resource and a stackable micro-credential framework.
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