Smart Works: A new £1m charity partnership

Across the UK, thousands of women are ready and eager to work—but remain unable to access opportunity. Securing a job has become increasingly challenging, with women, particularly those from marginalised communities, facing persistent and often compounding barriers to sustainable employment.

Today, Smart Works clients apply for an average of 42 roles before securing a job, an increase of 50% since 2022. This reflects intensifying competition and a recruitment landscape that is increasingly complex, digital and shaped by AI. For many women, repeated rejection takes its toll, eroding confidence and leaving them feeling excluded from a labour market they are qualified to enter.

This challenge calls for a new approach.

Smart Works Futures, an employer engagement and job brokerage programme represents a step change in how Smart Works supports women into work. Moving beyond interview preparation alone, the programme will connect directly with employers to actively place women into roles. Alongside this, tailored career coaching and comprehensive wraparound support will help women not only secure jobs but succeed and remain in them.

By combining active job brokerage, sustained employer partnerships and personalised support, the programme is designed to significantly improve employment outcomes and long-term retention. Crucially, it will connect women from diverse backgrounds to real, live opportunities—ensuring they are not just prepared for work, but positioned to access it.

Building on the success of a London pilot, the programme will now expand nationally through a phased approach across London, Newcastle, Manchester and Edinburgh. It aims to partner with over 150 employers and support at least 4,200 women who are long-term unemployed or facing multiple barriers—including discrimination, disability and caring responsibilities—with a particular focus on younger women.

Kirsty Brownlie, Head of the Aberdeen Group Charitable Trust, said:

“Too many women, especially those facing multiple barriers, are still being locked out of work, despite having the skills to succeed. As job markets become more competitive, gaps in confidence and access to opportunities keep growing.

“This programme is about changing that, connecting women directly with employers and supporting them into meaningful work. It unlocks talent, builds confidence and helps create a more inclusive, productive economy.

“It also reflects the Trust’s focus on opening pathways to fair work at the moments that matter most, whether that’s starting out, returning to work or balancing caring responsibilities. We’re really excited about what this partnership can achieve.”

Anna Hemmings, CEO Smart Works explains: 

“Expanding Smart Works Futures at this pace simply wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the Aberdeen Group Charitable Trust. Women are facing rising unemployment in a rapidly changing job market, and the longer they are out of work, the harder it becomes to return. That’s why interventionist programmes like Smart Works Futures are so vital.”