Helping women back into employment in Glasgow

The Pitch

Problem statement

Glasgow City Council has the largest local share of deprived areas (45%) in Scotland, with unemployment affecting 22% of households. The pandemic has deepened inequality. A study by the University of Exeter, found women are almost twice as likely as men to have lost their job during the pandemic. For many women, getting a job is a lifeline. It’s a chance to escape poverty, gain financial stability and restore a sense of self-worth and purpose. Smart Works exists to break the cycle of unemployment for women in disadvantaged circumstances. In the shadow of the cost-of-living crisis, we know our service has never been more needed, to help women start a new chapter for them and their families.

Solution

To achieve our goal of doubling the number of women we help in Scotland in Smart Works’ 10th Anniversary year, we would like to ask Nespresso to fund: our rent and utilities for 10 days, our centre supplies for 10 weeks, and a donation for a team of up to 10 Nespresso staff to take part in a wardrobe volunteering day at our Glasgow centre. Our new Glasgow centre provides a welcoming hub for unemployed women in need, where they can benefit from one-to-one in person support, giving them the clothes, coaching, confidence and skills to increase their chance of a successful interview. Visiting our centre is transformative: 72% get a job within one month of accessing our service.

Why are we best placed to deliver?

We have a team of 4 dedicated staff, and 26 skilled and compassionate volunteers (including HR professionals) delivering interview dressing, interview coaching and coaching in job application skills, along with 2nd dressing appointments to provide additional workwear following a job offer. Our impact is best communicated in the words of the women we help. In the last financial year 93% felt more confident that they would succeed at interview and 100% think that coming to Smart Works increased their chances of getting a job This video tells the inspiring stories of three Smart Works clients: https://scotland.smartworks.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/09/SWS-video.mov

Focus Areas

Delivery plan

Budget breakdown

Beneficiaries

150 people

Expected impact

In 2023 we will help over 300 women from our new Glasgow centre. At least 66% of the women we see will get a job within a month of their appointment and at least 70% will feedback that coming to Smart Works has improved their confidence.

Track record

Our new centre opening in Glasgow in October 2022 has allowed us to roll out our highly successful service model in an area of high need across Greater Glasgow. We maintain consistency across our regional centres in the service that we deliver and the outcomes that we achieve. We are data led and evidence based and report our impact in detail in our annual report which can be viewed on this link: https://smartworks.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Smart-Works-Annual-Report-2021-2022-1.pdf “Before I came to Smart Works, I’d lost count of how many interviews I had. But then it only took two [interviews] for me to get the job. I know that Smart Works played a big part in that.” Melissa, Smart Works client

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