Smart Works Reading

A charity’s “deceptively simple and short service” has a significant impact on getting out-of-work women back into employment, said Smart Works Reading’s nominator for Charity of the Year sponsored by Reading Today.

“Our clients start believing in their own ability to succeed. In the face of the cost-of-living crisis, the value of securing a job has never been greater,” said the nominator.

“We have had an amazingly impactful year. Our results have been surpassing our goals and we are growing to meet the demand in our local area.”

In the last year the charity has helped over 900 women on their journey to employment and delivered over 1,000 total appointments (a year on year growth of over 28 per cent) and over 500 interview dressing and preparation appointments to unemployed women with secured job interviews.

They have helped 67 per cent of clients secure employment within a month of their visit and delivered over 600 career coaching appointments to help clients identify next steps to secure an interview.

Smart Works’ clients are mostly long-term unemployed and have experienced repeated rejections from multiple jobs. The charity, which set up in 2015, prides itself on ”being well equipped to help any woman, at any stage of her life and any stage of her career journey.

“We are incredibly proud of the amazing results we have achieved this year and know that we will go on to do even bigger and better things in the years to come.”