By Jenessa Ellis and Samantha Kannegieter, The Vantage Point

We are grateful to everyone who took the time to complete our Youth Network consultation survey to inform our upcoming programming and Vantage Point’s work at large. We were blown away by the responses and by the thought, care, and depth of experiences that respondents generously shared.  

We heard that wages, working conditions, discrimination, and burn-out are huge challenges; that young professionals are looking for opportunities to transform systems and contribute to meaningful change. 

We heard not-for-profit employees face barriers when labeled as a ‘youth’, feeling that assumptions and biases around youth discount the value of younger people in the sector.   

Respondents also reinforced that young professionals are deeply interested in networking and connecting to others, finding mentorship, and gaining useful skills to develop their careers.   

A New Bursary for Young Not-for-Profit Professionals

First, we are excited to announce the Vantage Point Youth Network Bursary which offers full (100%) bursaries to Vantage Point workshops and three-day labs for successful applicants. This bursary is available to individuals aged 18-35 working or interested in a career in the not-for-profit sector in BC. Visit our website for more information or to apply.

A Not-for-Profit Career Development & Networking Guide

We are launching our Young Professional’s Guide to all things Not-For-Profit. This guide provides links and resources to support finding and building a career, networking, and more. Do you have a resource we should include? Reach out to Jenessa Ellis at jellis@thevantagepoint.ca to let us know!

Our First Interactive Career Planning & Self-Assessment Session!

On Thursday, June 23, we will be hosting our first event of 2022, Growing Your Management Skills: A guided self-assessment and development planning session.  Join Vantage Point’s Youth Network team in this two-hour session where we’ll learn about essential skills for managers and provide you with an opportunity to assess your current skill level and create a professional development plan to grow these skills. Learn more and register here.  

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Stay Connected for More to Come

And this is just the start! We invite you to stay connected via our newsletter by selecting “Youth Network (18-35)” in Communications You Would Like to Receive.