Back to work Programme aims to help mums gain skills for employment
AN initiative to help disadvantaged and unemployed mums back into work has launched in Bristol.
The Women’s Work Lab is the first training programme of its kind in the UK and is aimed at helping women who have struggled to get a job after having children back into employment.
The programme includes a fiveweek course on personal development, confidence and employability skills, and five weeks of part-time, voluntary work experience at an organisation in Bristol.
The initiative is being jointly funded by Bristol City Council’s leadership programme and organisations in the city, including AXA PPP healthcare, law firm Burges Salmon, GKN aerospace, the University of Bristol, North Bristol NHS Trust and engineering firm Jacobs.
Camilla Rigby, co-founder of the Women’s Work Lab, said: “All mothers should have the opportunity to reach their full potential in the workplace regardless of background.
“We want to enable more women to access jobs in organisations that they usually wouldn’t consider, enabling them to build a career that improves theirs and their family’s future and help reduce social inequality.”
Tivoli Everett-Rimmer, who is taking part in the course, is a 25-year-old single mum of two who has not worked since becoming a parent five years ago.
She said: “I used to work in administration but have really lost my confidence. I believe the Women’s Work Lab will help build up my skills and support me with finding flexible, meaningful work around the school day.
“I want to be able to provide for my family in a better way than being on benefits.”
Samantha Cuffy, 30, from Shirehampton, is a single mum of two boys, aged six and 10.
She said: “I’m on my own with my two lovely boys and despite completing my level 2 accounting qualifications with a distinction I have struggled to gain employment because I’ve been out of work for 10 years.
“I’ve had interviews and got down to the final two, but I’m always told the other person has that bit more experience than me and I’m unsuccessful.
“I am finally feeling confident that once I have done this programme I’ll be able to start my career and provide for my children in the way I’ve always wanted to.”
Councillor Helen Godwin, cabinet lead for women, children and young people, has welcomed the initiative which is seeking to address issues of social mobility and inclusion.
She said: “Returning to work after having children can be a daunting prospect. I know from speaking to women in my ward in Southmead and across the city, there are complex obstacles that prevent women from re-entering the workforce, including a lack of confidence or the fear that their skills are outdated.
“The family-friendly Women’s Work Lab is a much needed alternative to more traditional employment schemes or those aimed only at professional women.
“The training programme and professional work experience offered by the Women’s Work Lab gives women an opportunity to access employment and career progression, and improve their lives in a significant and meaningful way.”
The Women’s Work Lab are taking expressions of interest for the September 2020 cohort. To find how to apply, visit www.womensworklab.co.uk.
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I want to be able to provide for my family in a better way than being on benefits Tivoli Everett-Rimmer