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Pathways to Progress is Citi and the Citi Foundation’s response to the persistent issue of youth unemployment globally. Led by the philanthropic efforts of the Citi Foundation and strengthened by the active involvement of dedicated Citi volunteers.
IN FEBRUARY 2017, THE CITI FOUNDATION ANNOUNCED IT WOULD EXPAND its commitment to empowering urban youth with an additional $100-million investment to impact the lives of 500,000 youth in cities around the world by 2020. To support these efforts, Citi is mobilizing 10,000 Citi volunteers to serve as mentors and coaches who will provide professional advice to help young people move towards their career goals.
In Canada, Citi Foundation announced a commitment to investing $700,000 CAD to four charitable organizations, impacting 7,000 youth as part of the global Pathways to Progress commitment. Citi Foundation partnered with the following programs and charitable partners in 2017/2018:
Youth Employment Services
YES on Demand! will provide employability skills training, entrepreneurship development, career and mentorship counselling, and job placement/internship assistance to 900 youth.
Pathways to Education
The Pathways to 21st Century Success Program will provide 5,400 students with mentoring, skills training, and workshops to help them access meaningful employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.
Rise Asset Development
The Rising Young Entrepreneur Initiative will provide interactive and gamified online tools to 200 young people who have a history of mental health or addiction challenges in Canada, empowering them with the ability to connect with a mentor, to gain knowledge and experience with entrepreneurship, to launch businesses, and to rebut the stigma around mental illness.
Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada
The Youth Empowerment Program will provide 260 young people in and from the child welfare sector with the skills and knowledge required to effect lasting positive behavioural changes in their approach to personal finances, and assist them in securing employment, helping them transition from care to sustainable independent living.
On Friday, September 22, Citi Canada launched the expansion of Citi Foundation’s Pathways to Progress initiative in Canada at the Sheraton Hotel in Toronto. Citi Canada CEO John Hastings was joined by Toronto Deputy Mayor Stephen Holyday, Citi employees and representatives from each of the 2017/2018 grant recipients to celebrate progress for youth in Canada.
John Hastings welcomed Peggy Hornell, COO, Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada (CAFC); Sue Gillespie, President and CEO, Pathways to Education Canada (Pathways); Tim Lang, President and CEO, Youth Employment Services (YES); and Jodi Butts, Chief Executive Officer, Rise Asset Development (Rise), and thanked them for their leadership in enabling progress for youth in Canada. John touched on Citi’s long history in Canada and its “more than philanthropy” approach to community giving via tens of thousands of volunteer hours, thought leadership and expertise.
Deputy Mayor of Toronto Stephen Holyday spoke about the impact his first job had on his self-esteem and subsequent success in life, and about the importance of providing future generations of leaders with this same opportunity, no matter their background, education or socioeconomic status.
Senior executives from YES, CAFC, Pathways and Rise spoke about their mission and the importance of supporting youth on their path to success. Youth ambassadors and alumni also bravely shared profound and uplifting stories about their journey and the impact these programs had on their lives. Each community partner was presented with a cheque from the Citi Foundation for the 2017/2018 program.
The day ended with a Citi Skills Marathon (CSM) with Children’s Aid Foundation and Youth Employment Services. CSMs are done-in-a-day sessions where Citi experts work with community partners to solve a pressing organizational issue in the area of risk management, business strategy, and communications and social media planning.