Verizon has partnered with several companies to form Women’s CoLab, an initiative to help women regain jobs lost during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Verizon says that women lost 5.4 million jobs during the pandemic and that reasserting women’s place in the workforce is a challenge. The company commissioned research and highlighted two of the key findings in the press release announcing the group: The research found that of the women surveyed almost 60% who want to reenter the workforce can’t afford the proper training and 72% are concerned about the difficulty of finding jobs that match their skill sets.
The group scheduled a launch event for Oct. 11 and posted a library of resources and peer-to-peer support for free at WeAreWomensCoLab.com. The site provides “hyper-relevant development and training resources” to help women remain, re-enter and do well in the workforce. Guest essays, live Q&As, workshops, interactive workshops and career insights will be added over time. Curated content topics include personal brand building, networking advice, work-life wellness and career definition. The site also will carry content aimed at working mothers.
Women’s CoLab seeks to help meet those challenges. Verizon’s partners are Degreed, Accenture, The Achieve Institute, The A Effect, BDG, Blue Circle Leadership, Disney, the Estée Lauder Companies, The Female Quotient, Ferrero, Golin, Harvard Business Publishing, Mastercard, Romper, Scary Mommy, the United Nations Foundation, Walmart and Watermark.
“In recent years, we have celebrated many history-making firsts that prove women belong in every room, at every table, and deserve to be seen and heard as equals,” Verizon Business CEO Tami Erwin said in the press release. “Unfortunately, the momentum we have achieved as a society has all but come to a standstill in the wake of the pandemic. With Women’s CoLab, we are committed to giving women the support and resources they need to reach their career aspirations and thrive professionally.
