We spoke with EDAC’s delivery partner SmartWorks to find out why they signed up to the Covenant
Why have you signed up to the Covenant?
At Smart Works we are very passionate about supporting women who need help during their employment journey. We work to support women and help them back into the workplace by providing them with interview coaching and giving them high quality interview clothing. This combination helps to give a woman the confidence and the tools she needs to succeed at her interview. We understand the importance of women having a support network around them to give them the hope that things can change for the better. This is why we have signed up to the Covenant, to ensure women have access to the support and services they need and to give them the confidence and self-belief to succeed, because empowerment leads to positive changes.
How do you think EDAC will benefit women affected by abuse?
Organisations working collaboratively to help and support women affected by abuse to re-enter the workplace will benefit women immensely. The Employers Domestic Abuse Covenant is a great initiative, which will enable women to access many more services so that they are able to gain valuable work, life skills and opportunities and make positive steps forward to accomplish their goals and reach their potential in life.
Smart Works is looking forward to being a part of EDAC and continuing to support women in need.
What do you see as the future of Smart Works and EDAC?
As a charity, Smart Works has been supporting women since 2013. We are delighted to be a delivery partner through EDAC to ensure that women have access to interview training and interview outfits. We want women to feel confident on the outside and have the tools to succeed at their interviews.
We also offer a second appointment for women when they have secured a role, to give them additional clothing to create a capsule wardrobe which will help them through the first month of their new job.
Career coaching is a new service we provide for unemployed women who need advice on topics such as applying for jobs, writing or updating a CV and developing skills. The session gives clear next steps and goals for unemployed women on their employment journey. We look forward to working with EDAC to support any unemployed women who may need our service.
Interested in supporting women affected by abuse to (re) enter the workplace like SmartWorks? Sign up to the pledge today here or contact us here to learn more about how you can get involved in EDAC.