BGC Winnipeg (formerly known as the Boys and Girls Club of Winnipeg) works in collaboration with their local Old Navy and their This Way ONward program to teach BGC Club youth important skills for the workforce and prepare them to land their first job at Old Navy

Old Navy has been a proud partner of BGC Canada since 2005, helping prepare the next generation of leaders for workplace success. Old Navy’s This Way ONward program helps Clubs provide youth with job readiness training, by offering real-world work experience with on-the-job skill building, alongside one-on-one mentorship and coaching. This program aims to help young people unlock their career potential and can help youth get their first job or prepare them for the next step in their career. This Way ONward provides a safe space for young people to learn the skills necessary to build a more secure future and successful career.

On Thursday, April 28, 2022, at BGC Winnipeg’s Annual General Meeting, the Club honoured volunteers from their local Old Navy with the ‘Community Spirit Group Award’, which is given annually to a corporate partner that provides exceptional support and goes above and beyond to assist their local BGC Club.

This Way ONward has been in high demand among youth at BGC Winnipeg since its inception three years ago. Since then, 30 of the 50 young people from the Club who applied for jobs have been hired at Old Navy or Old Navy–related stores.

Program participants are granted a job interview with Old Navy, but BGC Winnipeg staff shared that the real magic of the program actually happens before.

Club and Old Navy staff help the youth prepare by hosting activities like workshops and practice interviews. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Old Navy would also invite Club youth to tour their stores and get behind-the-scenes glimpses of the work that goes into running them. Club youth get a chance to sit down with Old Navy staff members and learn about their work experiences in the retail industry.

In Winnipeg, this local partnership has been a win-win situation for everyone involved: the local BGC Club, Club youth, and the Old Navy store. Old Navy was an obvious choice for BGC Winnipeg when choosing their Community Spirit Award recipient because they have been working together for decades. In fact, when considering which corporate partner to recognize, BGC Winnipeg’s Community Engagement Director, Heather Black, pulled out pictures of Old Navy staff at the Club from the early 2000s.

This Way ONward seeks to remove barriers to employment for youth and meets them halfway to assist based on their needs. These opportunities have been important for the youth, Jocelyn said, because “it’s one thing for us to tell the youth about employment…and work with them on resumes and such but it’s another when you say ‘ok, the store manager is going to come, and they want to spend some time with you’”. Overall, she would say the program has been “a really positive experience for a lot of our youth” and has “made a big impact, over the last few years especially”.

The program allows Old Navy staff to build authentic connections with the youth at the Club, where they feel most confident removing the typical power dynamic in a standard interview situation. The participants already knew their co-workers when they got the job from the workshops and had mentor-like relationships with them that eased them into the workforce. Jocelyn said that these experiences “show youth this is what your first job could be like, you can do it”.

Old Navy staff are very active at the BGC Winnipeg Club, and BGC participants become well acquainted with them. Not only are they active in community events such as family barbeques, Christmas, clothing donations, and food drives but they also spend hours playing games with the youth and getting to know them personally. These relationships have not only helped the clubs operate and provide services to the community, but it has helped BGC youth in the long run. For many of the participants, this was the first time they had gotten a job. While this could have made some of the teenagers nervous, their nerves were alleviated by the close relationship many of them built with the Old Navy staff before completing an interview.

One of the youth participants of the program, Jeremy, seconded this. Jeremy was a member of the BGC Winnipeg club for approximately 10 months. He was looking for a job in Grade 11, when his school guidance counsellor connected him to Jocelyn at BGC Winnipeg and he joined This Way ONward. He describes his overall experience in the program as “very fun” and noted that the program helped him gain confidence in his ability to get a job. He worked at Old Navy for nine months and said, “every single one of them [employees and workers at Old Navy] was great”. He even gained “quite a few friends” from his time there and helped his friend get a job there as well.

Jeremy felt that the skills he gained from the program “has prepared me for a lot more in the rest of my life”. He learned to write a resume during one of his BGC workshops, which he still uses now, and gained practical skills such as how to fold clothing, planning, training other people how to do the job, and how to be a leader. The experience taught him “a little bit about myself, and a little bit about others too”.

The This Way ONward program has been particularly popular with older teens at BGC Winnipeg, who are seeking their first job or a seasonal position, to help build their work experience. But Jocelyn also shared that there is demand amongst younger teenagers, who are 14 or 15, and eager to join the program, but need to wait until they are 16 to participate. This is great news for Old Navy, because there is a steady stream of prospective employees who have been trained in job readiness at their local BGC Club. Those who are old enough to apply, and have been chosen, are always able to stay on for longer periods of time if they wish to. Stephanie Mclean, who is an Old Navy Community District Leader, said there is always room for talent at Old Navy.

Overall, working together on the This Way ONward program has been positive for everyone involved. Both Jocelyn and Stephanie repeated that working with each other “never felt like work” and Stephanie mentioned that because BGC is “an organization that really cares about young people”, she felt she was “making a difference in someone’s life”. When I asked Jeremy whether he would recommend this program to others, he responded, “Absolutely, yes. 100%”.

Published on Cision October 5, 2022

TORONTO, Oct. 5, 2022 /CNW/ – BGC Canada is commemorating five years of Giant Tiger Giant Steps, a flagship program that has helped BGC Clubs across Canada provide invaluable academic support to thousands of Club youth. 

The five-year milestone of the national Giant Tiger Giant Steps program is a cause for celebration. BGC Canada has a long-standing relationship with Giant Tiger that led to the creation of a national homework support program in 2017 called Giant Tiger Giant Steps that aimed to provide academic support for Club youth in Grade 7 and 8. Since then, fourteen grants have been given annually to BGC Clubs across Canada to run their Giant Tiger Giant Steps program, and this year there were even two rounds of grants. In total, 84 grants have been given to 42 clubs across eight provinces.  

“We are excited to celebrate five years of the Giant Tiger Giant Steps program with BGC Canada,” said Aaron Wade, Director, Brand and Customer Communications, Giant Tiger Stores Limited. “We believe in supporting organizations like BCG Canada that make a tangible difference because their success directly benefits the neighbourhoods they serve. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to empower youth across the country and help them achieve their academic goals.”

These grants are used to purchase educational supplies, learning resources, and equipment, provide special events and field trips, hire and retain Club staff to run the program, and build meaningful relationships with the participants.  

The Giant Tiger Giant Steps program is provided to Club members on an average of four days a week, and thousands of BGC youth in Grade 7 and 8 have received tutoring and mentoring in a space that is supportive and distraction-free.  

Annual Club Reports have revealed six key outcomes for the program participants: 

• Improved academic performance
• Increased interest in education
• More frequent Club attendance
• Higher levels of confidence
• Participants felt supported by staff
• Improved communication

It has provided an important space for the youth such as Morgan who said the program provided them with “access to computers and supplies that I don’t have at home”. Parents have also appreciated the opportunities the program has made possible for their children. One parent said, “The Giant Tiger Giant Steps homework program was the best thing that happened to us, as my son is now able to succeed in school.”  

BGC Canada looks forward to continuing its partnership with Giant Tiger to help more youth across the country achieve academic success.

Owen Charters, President & CEO of BGC Canada said this program encapsulates BGC Canada’s values because “Removing barriers and creating opportunities for all kids and teens is at the heart of what we do.” 

For 120+ years, BGC Canada has been creating opportunities for millions of Canadian kids and teens. As Canada’s largest child and youth serving charitable and community services organization, our Clubs open their doors to young people of all ages and their families at 736 locations nationwide. During out-of-school hours in small and large cities, and rural and Indigenous communities, our trained staff and volunteers provide programs and services that help young people realize positive outcomes in self-expression, academics, healthy living, physical activity, job readiness, mental wellness, social development, leadership, and more. Opportunity changes everything. Learn more at bgccan.com and follow us on social media @BGCCAN. 

Giant Tiger, the leading Canadian-owned family discount store, is on a mission to make every dollar matter and is committed to providing on-trend family fashion, groceries, and everyday household needs. The privately held company has over 260 locations across Canada and proudly employs over 10,000 members of Team Tiger. All Giant Tiger locations are locally owned or operated by a team member who knows the community. Whether Canadians are shopping in store or online at gianttiger.com, Giant Tiger makes it easy and fun for all to shop smart and save smart every day.

—

Media contact
Mary O’Connell, BGC Canada
Director, Marketing & Communications
moconnell@bgccan.com
905-477-7272 x2202

Students selected for multi-year program will receive funding for tuition, mentorship, financial education, and opportunities to secure paid internships

TORONTO, June 29, 2022 /CNW/ – CIBC is pleased to announce that 30 Grade 10 and 11 students from BGC clubs across Canada have been selected to take part in the Youth Accelerator Program beginning in late 2022. Spanning across six provinces, recipients were identified by BGC Canada (formerly Boys & Girls Club of Canada), and chosen in collaboration with CIBC and the BlackNorth Initiative (BNI).

Through the Youth Accelerator Program, students will receive $50,000 over four years for tuition, mentorship, financial education, and opportunities to secure paid internships or co-ops with other signatories of the BlackNorth CEO Pledge – which include hundreds of businesses across all sectors of the Canadian economy.

“CIBC is thrilled to recognize the future leaders and changemakers from the Black community alongside BlackNorth Initiative and BGC Canada,” said Stephen Forbes, Executive Vice-President, Purpose, Brand and Corporate Affairs, CIBC. “We remain committed to removing barriers to education and employment and creating access to opportunities so that everyone can realize their ambitions, and we look forward to supporting the educational and career growth of these students over the next four years.”

“We all need additional resources to reach our full potential and this partnership creates real opportunity for the next generation of emerging leaders,” says Dahabo Ahmed-Omer, Executive Director of the BlackNorth Initiative. “The BlackNorth Initiative is proud to support this program to address the inequity that exists within our education system.”

“Every day BGC Clubs across the country remove barriers and create opportunities for Black youth. As we reflect on the first 30 students selected for this opportunity, we are encouraged and impressed by their commitment to community, passion for leading and learning, and strong drive to break down barriers. We are proud to be part of this program in partnership with CIBC and BlackNorth Initiative,” said Owen Charters, President & CEO, BGC Canada.

The Youth Accelerator Program is one of many ways CIBC is taking action to remove barriers and address anti-Black systemic racism to foster meaningful change. Other efforts include being a signatory to the BlackNorth Initiative CEO Pledge, establishing the CIBC Black Entrepreneur Program, and providing additional investment to help advance social and economic opportunities for all through the CIBC Foundation.

About CIBC

CIBC is a leading North American financial institution with 13 million personal banking, business, public sector and institutional clients. Through the CIBC Foundation and the genuinely caring culture of Team CIBC, we are committed to helping people and our communities make their ambitions a reality. Learn more about our community impact. Ongoing news releases and more information about CIBC can be found at https://www.cibc.com/en/about-cibc/media-centre.html.

About BlackNorth Initiative

The BlackNorth Initiative is on a mission to end anti-Black systemic racism throughout all aspects of our lives by utilizing a business-first mindset. We are committed to the removal of anti-Black systemic barriers negatively affecting the lives of Black Canadian. For more information, visit: https://blacknorth.ca/ and follow us on social media @blacknorthca.

About BGC Canada

For 120+ years, BGC Canada has been creating opportunities for millions of Canadian kids and teens. As Canada’s largest child and youth serving charitable and community services organization, our Clubs open their doors to young people of all ages and their families at 736 locations nationwide. During out-of-school hours in small and large cities, and rural and Indigenous communities, our trained staff and volunteers provide programs and services that help young people realize positive outcomes in self-expression, academics, healthy living, physical activity, job readiness, mental wellness, social development, leadership, and more. Opportunity changes everything. Learn more at bgccan.com and follow us on social media @BGCCAN.

For further information: Josh Burleton, CIBC Communications & Public Affairs, 416-304-2712 / josh.burleton@cibc.com