02.16.22
Hair care brand Next of Us (NOU) today announced the launch of an intern opportunity fund via a partnership with Pay Our Interns to help Gen Z interns supplement unpaid internships. Pay Our Interns is a leading nonprofit committed to equitable career access and paid internships for students from historically excluded communities.
While internships are essential to breaking into professional industries and gaining practical experience, unpaid or low-wage internships create a financial burden impacting future success and growth, especially in young communities of color. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers’ (NACE) 2019 Student Survey, 6% of Black students and fewer than 8% of Latinx students had a paid internship experience. Students from low-income backgrounds were more likely to work jobs or internships that limit their long-term career goals, prevent expansion of their professional networks and impact their overall performance.
NOU is a newly launched hair care brand created for the unique textures, porosities, and styles of curly- and coily-haired Gen Zers. Committed to creating access and opportunities for the next generation of changemakers, NOU worked closely with Pay Our Interns to identify challenges associated with career advancement, most significantly experienced by BIPOC and working-class students and interns. The “Next of Us Intern Opportunity Fund” was created to help students jumpstart their careers by offsetting financial needs associated with unpaid internships.
“NOU believes in the power of the next generation to make the world better for themselves and generations to come,” said Lela Coffey, vice president, Multicultural Hair Brands and North America Hair Care Portfolio, P&G Beauty. “We are proud to partner with Pay Our Interns to establish a program that tangibly serves the unique needs of Gen Z communities of color, helping to make their hair and life journey a more fulfilling experience.”
The “Next of Us Intern Opportunity Fund” will award $50,000 in need-based stipends to college students to cover living and educational expenses including food, housing, transportation, or family care/contribution. Between Feb. 16 and March 31, 2022, students can apply for a grant here.