For its third consecutive year, specialist recruiter PageGroup has partnered with UK charity, Smart Works, to provide office attire to unemployed women on low incomes. PageGroup offices across the UK donated over 500 pieces of clothing to Smart Works, which included dresses, blouses, cardigans, blazers, trousers, scarves and shoes. Smart Works’ clients come from a variety of different backgrounds and often present a wide-range of skill levels from basic education/no work experience to highly qualified women. Sarah Kirk, Regional Director for Diversity & Inclusion, said: “At PageGroup, we are committed to supporting women on their career journeys and are always looking for opportunities to give back to the community. Our strong partnership with Smart Works allows us to support women on low incomes, whether it’s donating high-quality interview clothes or providing training and advice to Smart Works clients directly via the sustain and support partnership programmes. “It means so much to help these women improve their presentation and interview skills, as well as build their confidence and self-esteem. We hope these clothing donations make them feel well-prepared to succeed at job interviews or working within an office environment,” explains Mrs Kirk. Georgina Albel, UK Head of Partner Engagement at SmartWorks, explains how the charity is aiming to dress 2,000 women across London in 2015. “Smart Works mission is to help women back into the workplace by giving them the clothes and the confidence they need to succeed at interviews. Between January and June 2015 we have delivered 1000 appointments across London. Out of these, 62% of those women we were able to contact have gone on to get the job. Smart Works aim to support over 2000 women back into employment by the end of 2015, and we are on track to exceed this target. “We are proud to have meaningful partnerships with inspiring organisations, such as PageGroup, who share our passion for empowering women. Without your continued commitment and generosity, we simply could not help transform the lives of so many of our clients. The high-quality clothes you have donated will give a woman the confidence to believe in her own potential, help her succeed at interviews and secure the job she wants,” concluded Mrs Albel.
