With the shortening of days and the colder temperatures signalling a winding down for many, our 2017 LTSB cohorts have been working harder than ever preparing for interview season. November has seen our Speed Interview events take place across the country, with impressive numbers of employers coming to spend an evening meeting our fantastic candidates.

Our young people have been honing their technique through workshops and mock interviews, and for the young women on our programme there’s been a fantastic added support. Smart Works charity are a national organisation who provide a service consisting of a two-hour core dressing and interview preparation. Their aim is to “make sure that our clients look fabulous, feel comfortable in the clothes they have chosen, and that they have everything they need, from a winter coat to a pair of tights.”

Across Smart Works centres in West and North London, Birmingham and Manchester, the wonderful staff and volunteers welcomed all of our young women to kit them out and give some valuable coaching ahead of their speed interviews. Everybody came back with highly positive experiences, thanks to the expertise of the volunteers who have a range of backgrounds from HR and recruitment to fashion buying.

Cheyann of the CONEL cohort said “it helped show me that I had a lot of knowledge in terms of interviews, but I wasn’t really sure how to apply it [before].”

Shannon from the Chelsea cohort found that “Smart Works gave me a different perspective on how to answer questions in an interview which really helped me” adding that “the clothes given suited me very well.”

Once the candidates get placed in a role, they are eligible to go back to their Smart Works centre and choose five more pieces with a personal stylist which will equip them to feel super confident and succeed in their new job.

Special thanks goes to all of the Smart Works centre managers who made the referral process very smooth and were so welcoming of our aspiring apprentices.