Top fashion designers help women get into work
MediaCom North has been joined by two British fashion icons to promote Smart Works, a charity which supports women on their journey back to the workplace.
Ex-chief executive of Whistles Jane Shepherdson and fashion designer Betty Jackson attended the event at the media planning and buying agency on Thursday (January 19), along with women from across Manchester’s business community, to whip up support for the not-for-profit organisation.
Whether it is a lack of self-confidence, financial constraints or parenthood, one charity is trying to end the difficulties women frequently face by giving women a wardrobe makeover and interview advice.
Smart Works Greater Manchester has helped hundreds of women since it was founded by Lady Juliet Hughes-Hallett in June 2015.
Jane Shepherdson, a leading figure in fashion retail, said: “I think it’s a great charity for women.
“I am very keen and particularly I know so many women, who either have been through circumstances or have just left the workplace to have children, have come back and lost their confidence and perhaps don’t really know what they should be wearing or perhaps can’t afford to go out and buy an interview suit.
“Smart Works can give them that confidence and also a few tips in terms of interview techniques.”
The women who access Smart Works services will receive a full outfit, including accessories, along with expert interview tips and advice. The charity’s Greater Manchester branch clothes four women per day.
Shepherdson added: “It’s not just any clothes. They have Burberry suits, Whistles dresses. These are really nice clothes- clothes that make you feel good.
“They get handbags, shoes- the whole outfit- so they are really well equipped for the interview. And then they get to talk someone who can tell them how to handle the interview.
“If there are things that you haven’t worn or you’re never going to wear, give it to Smart Works. Somebody will really appreciate it.
“If you’re a stylist, then you can come along and volunteer to help dress these women. If you’re in any way involved in HR then you can be helping with interview techniques. Or if you’re a good fundraiser, we need loads of people who can do events for Smart Works too.”
More than 50% of the women who receive help from the charity are successful at the interview stage and secure a job offer.
Fashion designer Betty Jackson, who created clothing label Betty Jackson Black for Debenhams, is also a patron of the charity.
She said: “I understand that MediaCom loves to support women’s charities and women in business.
“When you hear about this charity and what it does, it’s just a no-brainer.
“So many women get side-tracked and side-lined through no fault of their own and some can’t find a way back.”
When Jackson was first introduced to SmartWorks, one women told her story about how the charity had helped her into a particularly important line of work.
She continued: “One woman arrived at Smart Works’ office just with a plastic bag full of her stuff and was dressed in grey tracksuit.
“She said she had never been looked after so well. No-one ever cared about what her hair looked like, whether she had the right colour lipstick.
“You get completely topped up by people who really care how you feel, if you’re comfortable in the interview, it’s just such a simple thing.
“This woman is now a secretary at Buckingham Palace.”
The charity enables the women to attend job interviews with the confidence afforded to them by a new outfit and career advice of the volunteers.
Nicola Marsh, deputy managing director of MediaCom Manchester, said: “Last year, MediaCom gathered its senior women together and had the conversation about how we as a business could make a difference to promoting women in business and diversity.
“Given what Smart Works wants to achieve, we believe that with the contacts we have in the industry, first and foremost they wanted ltos of clothes as donations.
“We knew that in our industry women spend to lot of money on clothes.
“We knew that it was something we could help with. We knew we could escalate their voice across the region.
“We are only the tip of the iceberg with regards to gathering clothes. I think businesses can get women in for interviews and provide these opportunities for them.”
Of the women who are helped, almost half of them have previously applied for more than 50 jobs, yet the success rate for Smart Works is 70%.
If you or your business would like to get involved by donating clothes or organising an event, visit the charity’s website.
