Congratulations to our first graduating cohort of the Women’s Track in 2022!
Helen and Rosa began the Women’s Track Employment Readiness Program last summer, and after successfully completing 6 months on the Clean Team, they are ready for a new chapter in their lives!
Rosa is currently working as a Peer Worker with Substance Use Support and Employment Program (SUSEP), where she provides mentorship and support to her peers in the community. Looking back at her journey over the last 6 month, Rosa is proud of all the challenges she has overcome and how coming to work brought her so much happiness: “I’m so thankful for Mission Possible for letting me in. Because I’m actually doing stuff that I didn’t think I would be able to do. It’s made me stand taller, walk taller. Now I get to walk with my head high and say I’m walking for Mission Possible.”
Helen is also taking on a new challenge as the Women’s Track Lead Associate! After 6 months on the Clean Team, Helen is now ready to use her skills to train our incoming associates and support her supervisors with day-to-day operations.
When thinking back on their experience with the Women’s Track program, our graduates share similar experiences of support and sense of belonging amongst the participants. The extensive support from the Women’s Track supervisors allowed them to find their confidence, build new skills, and have a little more support while they were getting ready to explore permanent employment opportunities. Lesley, Women’s Track supervisor shares, “I don’t just teach them what to do, I try to empower them and lift them up, and make them realize their power.”
The Women’s Track Program was developed to support women and non-binary participants through addressing various gender-based barriers and providing a supportive environment from our women supervisors and coaches. While the co-ed program is open for everyone, the Women’s Track Employment Readiness Program focuses specifically on removing barriers that women and gender-diverse participants face in the workplace - whether that be through programming, professional development and leadership opportunities, or just having more gender representation in day-to-day work.
This year, Women’s Track also started operating out of our arts studio at 335 Princess St. This allowed for the participants to build stronger connections with their peers and take advantage of the art space. The main goal for the new space was to cultivate a stronger sense of community among our participants, and create a safer space for them to engage in our program.
If you are interested in joining the Women's Track Employment Readiness Program, please call 604-253-4469 to sign up for the information session that happens every Wednesday at 1pm. You can also contact aizhan@mission-possible.ca to get more information about the program and connect further.