Youth Retail Ready: Building Skills for a First Job
Women In Need Society (WINS)
Details
Southern Alberta
The Idea
How do you get your first job when employers want experience?
In summer 2027, WINS Youth Retail Ready Summer Program will help 20 youth ages 15-18 build that experience through 7 weeks of employment preparation and supervised training in WINS’ thrift stores.
Participants will learn the essentials of getting and keeping a job: building a resume, preparing for interviews, communicating professionally, understanding workplace rights and responsibilities, working as part of a team, and navigating workplace expectations.
But the Youth Retail Ready Summer Program goes beyond the classroom.
Youth will practice customer service, learn point-of-sale and cash-handling skills, work with merchandise and inventory, take part in workplace scenarios, and receive supervised hands-on training in WINS thrift stores. Because WINS operates its own stores, participants are able to apply what they learn in a real workplace environment rather than only through classroom exercises. It gives a youth who may never have had a job the opportunity to walk onto a store floor, learn by doing, make mistakes in a supportive environment, receive feedback and become more comfortable in a workplace.
Our goal is simple: when a young person is ready to go get their first job, we want them to be able to say, “I've done this before. I know what to expect. I'm ready.”
In summer 2027, WINS Youth Retail Ready Summer Program will help 20 youth ages 15-18 build that experience through 7 weeks of employment preparation and supervised training in WINS’ thrift stores.
Participants will learn the essentials of getting and keeping a job: building a resume, preparing for interviews, communicating professionally, understanding workplace rights and responsibilities, working as part of a team, and navigating workplace expectations.
But the Youth Retail Ready Summer Program goes beyond the classroom.
Youth will practice customer service, learn point-of-sale and cash-handling skills, work with merchandise and inventory, take part in workplace scenarios, and receive supervised hands-on training in WINS thrift stores. Because WINS operates its own stores, participants are able to apply what they learn in a real workplace environment rather than only through classroom exercises. It gives a youth who may never have had a job the opportunity to walk onto a store floor, learn by doing, make mistakes in a supportive environment, receive feedback and become more comfortable in a workplace.
Our goal is simple: when a young person is ready to go get their first job, we want them to be able to say, “I've done this before. I know what to expect. I'm ready.”
Who Will Benefit?
WINS Youth Retail Ready Summer Program will directly benefit 20 participants ages 15-18, with a particular focus on young people from low-income households, newcomer families and underserved communities, as well as those with little or no previous work experience.
Limited professional connections, financial barriers and a lack of workplace exposure can leave young people feeling unprepared or uncertain about where to begin.
By reducing barriers to employment, WINS will help participants approach future opportunities with greater confidence, independence and a stronger sense of what they can achieve.
This project will give youth access to the opportunities and support that make entering the workforce possible.
The benefits extend beyond employment. Participants will have opportunities to form friendships, build supportive relationships with peers and mentors, develop a sense of belonging and strengthen the communication and interpersonal skills they will carry into school, work and everyday life.
Families also benefit as youth become more independent and better equipped to pursue employment and educational opportunities. Over time, local employers and the broader Calgary community stand to benefit from young people entering the workforce with stronger skills, confidence and an understanding of workplace expectations.
Ultimately, this project is about building a stronger, more resilient Calgary, by creating a generation of young people with the confidence, passion and ambition to pursue great careers.
Limited professional connections, financial barriers and a lack of workplace exposure can leave young people feeling unprepared or uncertain about where to begin.
By reducing barriers to employment, WINS will help participants approach future opportunities with greater confidence, independence and a stronger sense of what they can achieve.
This project will give youth access to the opportunities and support that make entering the workforce possible.
The benefits extend beyond employment. Participants will have opportunities to form friendships, build supportive relationships with peers and mentors, develop a sense of belonging and strengthen the communication and interpersonal skills they will carry into school, work and everyday life.
Families also benefit as youth become more independent and better equipped to pursue employment and educational opportunities. Over time, local employers and the broader Calgary community stand to benefit from young people entering the workforce with stronger skills, confidence and an understanding of workplace expectations.
Ultimately, this project is about building a stronger, more resilient Calgary, by creating a generation of young people with the confidence, passion and ambition to pursue great careers.