Nov 302 min read

Creating a sense of belonging in New Members - A year in review for Member Journey & Data Innovation (MJ&DI) Subcommittee

The MJ&DI subcommittee had an impactful year, welcoming over 120 new members and pioneering YWLC’s first learning support initiatives for Google Career Certificate Scholars. From rebranding New Member Welcome Socials to launching My YWLC Buddies, here’s a look back at the key initiatives.

Thank-Goodness-Its-Thursday (TGIT) Welcome Social (Formerly TGIT Welcome Drinks)

The TGIT Welcome Socials serve as YWLC’s signature event to welcome new members. These quarterly gatherings provide an opportunity for members to connect through facilitated games and conversations over dinner. To promote inclusivity, TGIT Welcome Drinks was rebranded to TGIT Welcome Socials, with events held at halal-certified restaurants or venues offering diverse dietary options. Since its rebranding in October 2023, three socials have been held, attended by over 100 members.

YWLC Hangouts

Besides TGIT Welcome Socials, the MJ&DI subcommittee also came together to review other existing new member initiatives and developed a series of events aimed at improving new members' onboarding experience.

YWLC Hangouts, (formerly known as New Members' Circle) was one result of such an effort. Noting that there might be a huge gap between the official quarterly TGIT welcome socials, the new members' circles were refreshed to become YWLC Hangouts. With the refresh, YWLC hangouts occurred more frequently on a monthly/bi-monthly basis, and could cater for up to 40 new members per session, with dedicated subcomm members who act as facils to introduce YWLC and facilitate conversations between new members over informal dinner. This provided an additional avenue for new members to bond and further deepened their relationships with new friends made from TGIT Welcome Socials, and more importantly, served as a critical platform for new members who have joined YWLC in between months with TGIT Welcome Socials to know other new members. Since its rebranding, YWLC Hangouts has helped over 60 new members socialise with one another and integrate into the YWLC community.

YWLC Buddies

To further help new members integrate with the community, the MJ&DI subcommittee has also developed a new initiative, My YWLC Buddies, a 6-month programme aimed at helping new members better familiarise with the YWLC community through pairing or grouping new members with existing members. The pilot run of the programme was launched in April 2024, and saw signups from 43 new members and 29 existing members.

Google Career Certificate (GCC) Scholarship – Community Initiatives

Apart from new member initiatives, the MJ&DI subcommittee is also responsible in spearheading YWLC’s innovation roadmap, and inculcating a spirit of continuous learning and interest in data and technology in our members.

The Google Career Certificate (GCC) Scholarship, a partnership with Google, offers members certifications in emerging technology fields. With nine certifications available, approximately 160 YWLC members—45% of the community—are currently enrolled.

To support learners, the subcommittee launched initiatives such as a GCC group chat, accountability partnerships, and GCC Coffee Socials. These efforts have benefited over 50 scholars, encouraged 60 additional sign-ups, and tripled course completion rates.