The Walmart Foundation recently awarded $2.5 million to the Going Places Network by Walmart (GPN), a program that's offered by the Dress for Success Worldwide.

Dress for Success was established in New York City in 1997 as a nonprofit organization that provides disadvantaged women with professional clothing, connections and training to help them secure career opportunities. The organization estimates it helps around 65,000 women in the United States every year and since its inception, Dress Success has given more than 650,000 females worldwide get the tools they need to advance. 

"With the advent of the Going Places Network by Walmart, Dress for Success has had an opportunity to chip away at the unemployment rate plaguing the nation," said CEO of Dress for Success Worldwide Joi Gordon. "Clients can now participate in a comprehensive suite of services for every phase of their professional lives, starting with the job search and leading to sustained employment and self-sufficiency."

The GPN offers 12-week training sessions through which Dress for Success Participants can develop professional skills, receive personal career coaching and focus on their job searches. Since the initiative was launched, 2,200 women have participated and 41 percent found positions by the end of the course. 

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