Gap Inc. Announces Expansion of Proven Store Internship Program
By 2025, 5 Percent of Entry-Level Store Hires will be from the
Company’s Paid Internship and Job Coaching Program: This Way Ahead
SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Gap
Inc. (NYSE: GPS) today announced its goal of hiring 5 percent of all
entry-level store employees from graduates of the company’s This Way
Ahead paid store internship program by 2025. First launched in 2007, the
program empowers teens and young adults from low-income communities by
teaching them valuable job readiness and life skills while also
generating proven talent and business benefits for participating Gap,
Banana Republic, and Old Navy stores. By 2020, the company expects
10,000 teens and young adults will have participated in This Way Ahead,
receiving job coaching and critical first job experience.
“This Way Ahead is a game-changer for the teens and young adults who
participate,” says Bobbi Silten, EVP, Global Talent and Sustainability
at Gap Inc. Silten added, “Not only do interns have a meaningful first
job experience they can include on their resumes, they develop valuable
life-skills and build a foundation for future success in the workplace.”
The program is a business priority for the company with proven results.
This Way Ahead graduates stay with the company twice as long as their
peers and have higher engagement scores.
Gap Inc. created This Way Ahead in response to the ongoing challenge of
youth unemployment. Research shows that getting a first job as a
teenager has a profound impact on an individual’s long-term earning
potential. For example, being unemployed young can reduce earnings by as
much as 20 percent for up to two decades. Gap Inc. partners with select
nonprofits that have strong ties to local communities and a track record
of running effective job training and life skills programs on This Way
Ahead. Course curriculum includes fundamentals such as resume writing
and budgeting, supplemented by workshops facilitated by Gap Inc.
employee volunteers. Following their training, teens and young adults 16
– 24 interview for a ten-week paid internship at Old Navy, Gap, or
Banana Republic stores. During their internship, participants continue
to receive personalized coaching from the nonprofit partner and store
managers, while getting hands-on experience working in a store. To date,
75 percent of This Way Ahead alumni have received job offers from Gap
Inc.
“Many nonprofits run job training programs, but when the programs end
and we want to place them in jobs, it is challenging to find jobs for
all the youth who need them,” says Tony DiStefano, Executive Director of
Enterprise for Youth, a This Way Ahead nonprofit partner in San
Francisco. “Through This Way Ahead, our youth get a first job
experience, they’re coached to improve their skills, and they collect a
paycheck. They’re getting the skills, confidence, and real-life
experience needed for long-term workplace success.”
As a global company with over 3,000 stores as well as corporate offices,
brand headquarters, distribution and call centers located around the
world, Gap Inc. can offer entry-level employees a rewarding and diverse
career path. Underscoring a demonstrated practice of promoting talent
from within, the majority of the company’s store managers began their
careers as entry-level associates.
Currently, This Way Ahead operates in 12 cities, including Atlanta, GA;
Austin, TX; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Houston, TX; Los Angeles, CA; New
York, NY; Philadelphia, PA; San Francisco, CA; Toronto, Canada; London,
England; and Manchester, England.
To learn more about This Way Ahead, visit http://www.gapincsustainability.com/way-ahead.
About Gap Inc.
Gap Inc. is a leading global retailer offering clothing, accessories,
and personal care products for men, women, and children under the Gap,
Banana Republic, Old Navy, Athleta, and Intermix brands. Fiscal year
2015 net sales were $15.8 billion. Gap Inc. products are available for
purchase in more than 90 countries worldwide through about 3,300
company-operated stores, about 450 franchise stores, and e-commerce
sites. For more information, please visit www.gapinc.com.
Contacts
Gap Inc.
Media Relations Contact:
Debbie Felix,
415-629-0331
press@gap.com
