Women Learning to Code

Sep 18, 2020

Women Learning
to Code & take Leadership

Women Learning to Code & Take Leadership

The fastest and most influential industry in the world has a gender imbalance issue. In order to rectify this imbalance, we are empowering women to learn tech-skills and launch careers in the tech industry.

The Situation

  • Women make up only 20% of individuals employed in the tech industry

  • Only 30% of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) graduates are women.

  • Women are less likely to hold an executive position in the technology industry.

    How IDRF is helping

    This year we will train a select cohort of young women ages 18-29 from groups under-represented in Tech in Introduction to Web Development, a course that teaches participants Ruby, HTTP, HTML & CSS, as they start their journey in code.

    IDRF will also award five full-paid scholarships to those that demonstrate the aptitude and technical skills in code to a 12-week Web Development Bootcamp that prepares them for careers as Full-Stack Developers.

    In addition, participants will also have the option to enroll in Salesforce’s ADM 201 Certification program, which provides them with the knowledge and skills to become Certified Salesforce Administrators. This program is made possible thanks to IDRF’s partnership with The Rainbow Cloud Initiative.

    To remove common barriers in Tech, all courses in our program are free with no costs to the participants. All our students are beginners! With no previous knowledge of web development required, participants learn together at a pace that makes coding fun and accessible. We also emphasize leadership development and teach young women to see themselves as change-makers in the Digital space.

        The Impact

        Enjoy this video of Libin Mohamed, a past graduate, who not only learned to code but gained a strong sense of confidence and feeling of empowerment.

        Other Appeals

        Cancer Treatment for Children in Pakistan

        Cancer Treatment for Children in Pakistan

        Karachi Flood Relief

        Karachi Flood Relief

        Maternal & Newborn Health in Pakistan

        Maternal & Newborn Health in Pakistan

        Girls Education in Pakistan

        Girls Education in Pakistan

        Get Job Ready

        Sep 18, 2020

        Get Job Ready

        Powered by RBC Future Launch

        Get Job Ready is now accepting applications for 2021 sessions!

        Sign Up Now
        RBC Future Launch

        Get Job Ready, Powered by Future Launch

        Get Job Ready is now accepting applications for 2021 sessions

        Sign Up Now

        Young Canadians face a rapidly changing economy, and many employers are reluctant to hire recent graduates due to a lack of work experience. Get Job Ready, Powered by RBC Future Launch teaches youth ages 18-29 how to successfully navigate the job market and how to land their “dream job.”

        The Situation

        In 2021, Canada looks to rebound from a tumultuous past year. The global pandemic hurt many communities and our youth were not an exception. Get Job Ready is a 5-day program that teaches young Canadians the skills to master their job search, to expand their networks, to enhance their digital identity and gain the financial skills to plan for a prosperous future. Participants learn to optimize LinkedIn, write resumes and prepare for job interviews. However, our program also incorporates group work, mock interviews and public speaking exercises to build and identify soft skills such as collaboration, active listening, critical thinking and leadership.

        How IDRF is helping

        This year marks the fourth year of Get Job Ready. What started in a small room on the campus of the University of Calgary in December 2017, has transformed into a national program that has impacted approximately 500 youth across Canada. We will start 2021 with online training sessions via Zoom and encourage all youth (ages 18-29) eligible to work in Canada to apply! Those who are 17 may also apply but will require consent from a parent or guardians.

        With a little luck, this year we hope to resume our in-person sessions and offer training in Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Vancouver and Toronto.

        Hear it from Khatab Kakar, Get Job Ready alumni, describing his success after completing the program.

        5-day workshops training participants in the following

        • Building a 5-star LinkedIn account
        • Develop a Networking Strategy from one’s Dream Job
        • Preparing for Job Interviews
        • Financial Literacy
        • Leveraging Social Media

        Workshops training participants in soft skills:

        • Public Speaking
        • Critical Thinking
        • Problem Solving
        • Social Cohesion
        • Leadership

        Diversity and Inclusion

        Throughout our 37-year history, IDRF programs have supported people across the world, irrespective of race, religion, gender or ability. Similar to the approach of many Canadian businesses across sectors that make diverse and inclusive workplaces a priority, our workshops bring together Canadian youth from different backgrounds to broaden networks, encourage social cohesion and develop empathy.

        If you work with an organization that serves Canadian youth, please reach out to us and see how we can bring Get Job Ready to your community!

        Email Us

        Mental Health Support

        Participants and alumni may now use TogetherAll – an online platform that supports youth facing challenges related to mental health. Thanks to our partnership with RBC Future Launch, all youth that sign-up have access to the following at no cost:  

        • Community forums to discuss how they are feeling (forums are managed by trained professionals 24/7 to keep the community safe)
        • Self-assessments and recommended resources
        • Creative tools to help with self-expression
        • A wide range of self-guided courses .
        TogetherAll Logo

        The Impact

        young Canadians in the past 2 years

        %

        of participants have found jobs

        %

        of participants have had more than one job interview

        Other Appeals

        Cancer Treatment for Children in Pakistan

        Cancer Treatment for Children in Pakistan

        Karachi Flood Relief

        Karachi Flood Relief

        Maternal & Newborn Health in Pakistan

        Maternal & Newborn Health in Pakistan

        Girls Education in Pakistan

        Girls Education in Pakistan

        Sign Up for online sessions

        Licensed to Learn

        Sep 18, 2020

        Licensed to Learn

        Donate

        Licensed to Learn

        Licensed to Learn (L2L) is an IDRF project that supports Canadian children and youth in need of educational support. A registered charitable organization, L2L’s goal is to make academic support accessible to all Canadian students, by empowering young leaders through tutor training, and implementing free peer-tutor programming in schools nationwide.

        Donate

        The Situation

        • Almost 20% of Canadian children and youth live in poverty.
        • Evidence shows students from low-income households are disadvantaged in the Canadian education system through to post-secondary training
        • Only 31% of youth from the bottom income quartile attend post-secondary education, compared to 50.2% from the top quartile.
        • Academic support and educational opportunities need to be more accessible to help all students achieve their full potential.”

          How you can help

          Your generous donations will make academic support more accessible to students across Canada by helping bring the L2L Peer-Tutoring Program to schools and communities that need it.

          • We provide free, personalized peer tutoring, empowering students to support each other.
          • We strive to  increase students’ academic performance while nurturing the development of leadership skills, empathy and mentorship.
          • We train elementary and secondary students as Tutors to provide one-on-one academic help and mentorship to their Peers.

          We support all students with a focus on schools and agencies that serve vulnerable communities

          To support this project, visit

          Donate at the L2L Website