As lockdown begins to ease, we’re continuing to support women to navigate this uncertain time.
Demand for our services remains high and our engagement team met with 16 new women in June to assess each woman’s needs and come up with a tailor-made support plan for her Working Chance Journey.
We introduced three new digital employability workshop, focusing on all the practical skills a woman might need for a successful job search. Together, we looked at CV writing, interview skills and how to disclose your conviction to an employer. These have been really popular so far and on average, 10 women attended each session.
We’re receiving really great feedback from these workshops and are excited to start adding more modules in the coming weeks. Here’s what one woman had to say:
“I found the workshop very relevant and full of useful information. I feel empowered and more confident in preparing my CV. The Zoom format worked well. Thank you!”
Another attendee highlighted “This course needs to be done prior to release [from prison]. It would help so many women!”
Whilst unfortunately we haven’t been able to access women in prison during the lockdown, we’re hopeful that we’ll be back in women’s prisons across the country soon delivering our employability programmes.
As many businesses start to return to work, some are beginning to hire again. Our recruitment consultants have been busy staying in touch with employers, talking to new employers interested in hiring through us, matching women with suitable roles, arranging interviews for women and ensuring every woman feel confident and ready to showcase her best side at interview.
In June, we supported three women into work in key worker industries. Two are now working at national supermarket chains and another is about to begin work in a warehouse. We also helped one woman into a voluntary role at a domestic abuse charity which is a fantastic way to get relevant work experience and build up your confidence. There’s even a chance this role might lead to paid employment in the future!