Prowess Project Sponsorship
Breaking down the barriers for women to return to the workforce.
Project Description
The time to contribute is NOW. Thank you, Blue Sky Partners, for matching all contributions up to $1K!
OUR MISSION
According to Harvard Business Review, if a woman is out of the workforce for just three years, she loses 37% of her total compensation power for the rest of her life.
We were shocked and furious at this statistic, so we decided to do something about it. And Prowess Project was born.
Prowess Project provides expert talent by certifying accomplished women who have taken a pause in their careers and now want flexible, empowering work. Our technology matches the underutilized (wo)manpower with companies based on skill, experience and behavior-style providing a natural fit at a lower cost.
THE PROBLEM
Prowess Project's goal is to solve the problems for both the women returning to work and the companies who would be hiring them. With that in mind, we interviewed 100 “returners” and 100 hiring managers to better understand their challenges.
For the returners, the #1 barrier that was holding them back was confidence. Second, was the uncertainty of the re-entry path. There were 4 different destinations to access resources, training, a community and a job pool which ultimately proved daunting.
For the hiring managers, they dreaded the process because there were too many resumes to sift through, lengthy hiring cycles, and onboarding was slow and painful. When asked why they hesitated to hire women who had a résumé gap, we heard the hiring managers feared the women weren’t up to speed on the latest technology and they didn’t have the time to train them.
THE MAGNITUDE
WHAT WE DO
Prowess Project created a mandatory 16+ hour certification for our talent to complete before entering the job pool. The certification covers confidence, emotional intelligence, communication, and managing team dynamics, as well as project management best practices and the latest tech and remote work.
Once candidates are in the job pool, we match based on skill and experience, but also behavior-style compatibility. This optimization cuts the interview time from an industry average of 24 days to as little as 3 hours. We’re also seeing that a typical candidate’s onboarding shrinks from six weeks to two.
WHY WE NEED HELP
Returning to the workforce is overwhelming. One barrier is the financial investment needed to upskill. For many women, that investment is impossible. Whether it be the financial fallout from a divorce, chipping away at mounds of medical bills or simply the lack of autonomy of finances, Prowess would like to help whenever possible.
The funds from this campaign will go toward providing scholarships to 60 women throughout the year who otherwise would not be able to pay the fee like Jodie here.
"Without the scholarship I received from Prowess Project, I would not have been able to take part in this life-changing training and be matched with the great job I have now. As a single mom, it means the world to be self-sufficient. Thank you, Prowess Project!"
- Jodie S., Project Manager
MEET THE TEAM
Prowess Project's CEO & Founder Ashley Connell (on the right) was inspired to start Prowess Project because of the story of Leah Steinkirch, our Chief of Development (on the left). Ashley was always anxious about what having children would do to her career. Leah, educated and experienced, had a three-year gap and could only land unpaid internships.
Together, they teamed up to take on this massive social impact problem.
THANK YOU
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts in helping women access the upskilling they need to begin their journey to financial independence.
And special thanks to friends at Blue Sky Partners, who are matching all contributions up to $1K!
Updates
The Campaign FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions:
- What exactly does the sponsorship cover?
- The sponsorship funds will cover the cost of certification for women who can not afford the fee at this time. Once an applicant finished the 16+ hour certification, she is granted access to our job pool. All applicants must have have a 4-year degree, 5 years of professional experience and a background in project management or business operations.
- The certification course has labor and software that generate a fee for the course.
- How does the sponsorship help the Prowess Project mission?
- By removing the financial barrier for support, training, and access to the job pool, we are able to help more women re-enter the workforce. The more women that find empowering professional roles, the faster we can achieve gender equality as a whole.
- How will I receive my rewards?
- All rewards that require shipping will be sent within 5-10 business days by ground shipping. You will receive an email after your contribution to the IFW campaign with a further request for details needed to ship your item to you.
- I represent a company and want to find talent, where do I start?
- We are available on chat via our website and you can find more information at Hire Us
- I want to take your certification, how do I sign up?
- The first step is to fill out an application.
- More info of what the certification covers here.
- I want to follow your journey, how do I stay in touch?
- Fill our contact us form on our website or say hello at [email protected]
Help us break down barriers for women returning to work. Any amount helps us provide training for these deserving women.
As a thank you, we will highlight you in our monthly newsletter as a contributor to our certification scholarship.
Yes, it is a Prowess Project branded hair-tie. But what woman who means business does not have a let-me-get-down-to-business hair accessory close by, if not around her wrist?
Includes Friendship Bracelet & Newsletter Shout-Out.
Represent Prowess Project, and gender equality as a whole, when you're out and about in a branded t-shirt. Option to choose men and women's sizes, of course.
Our online Returnship Course is designed for moms returning to the workforce after a pause. The on-demand course is focused on building confidence, setting boundaries as a caregiver who is adding a professional responsibility to their schedule as well a the functional aspects of résumé building, networking and interviewing best practices.
$250 value on the Teachable platform.
Help us build a wall of sponsors and supporters on our website! We will feature your logo or name as a key contributor to the mission and helping women return to work.
For a gift this generous, we will brand an entire certification cycle with your logo or name. Your logo will be included on the course materials, promotions, and newsletter with a reach of 10K+.
Rewards
Help us break down barriers for women returning to work. Any amount helps us provide training for these deserving women.
As a thank you, we will highlight you in our monthly newsletter as a contributor to our certification scholarship.
Yes, it is a Prowess Project branded hair-tie. But what woman who means business does not have a let-me-get-down-to-business hair accessory close by, if not around her wrist?
Includes Friendship Bracelet & Newsletter Shout-Out.
Represent Prowess Project, and gender equality as a whole, when you're out and about in a branded t-shirt. Option to choose men and women's sizes, of course.
Our online Returnship Course is designed for moms returning to the workforce after a pause. The on-demand course is focused on building confidence, setting boundaries as a caregiver who is adding a professional responsibility to their schedule as well a the functional aspects of résumé building, networking and interviewing best practices.
$250 value on the Teachable platform.
Help us build a wall of sponsors and supporters on our website! We will feature your logo or name as a key contributor to the mission and helping women return to work.
For a gift this generous, we will brand an entire certification cycle with your logo or name. Your logo will be included on the course materials, promotions, and newsletter with a reach of 10K+.