Work with us
We work with businesses that are keen to support mums returning to the workplace through a Careers Month programme. With a flexible, personalised approach, we help mums rebuild their confidence and take steps towards returning to work. The mums we work with may be looking for a career change or more usually have been out of the workplace for at least six months. They may have faced challenges including domestic abuse, lone parenting, children with SEN or home displacement.
The main goal of the Women’s Work Lab is for every mum to leave the programme feeling more confident, with improved mental wellbeing and closer to returning to work. Throughout Careers Month, employers can get involved in different ways, from sharing their workplace knowledge through skills sessions, interview practice and webinars, to opening their doors for insight days and workplace visits. They also offer individual or group work placements, giving mums the chance to gain practical experience, develop their confidence and explore potential career paths. For employers looking to recruit, Career Month is also an opportunity to connect with WWL mums and graduates who are ready for their next step.
With good planning and commitment from across your organisation, we believe our mums can thrive.
How to become a successful Placement Partner
Hear more about our partnership with Buro Happold
Changing lives with AtkinsRèalis…
Hear from Fiona at AtkinsRéalis and our graduate Suveena on the real impact of placements.
2027 programmes
We ask employers to offer work placements for approximately 15 hours per week, usually Tues, Weds, or Thurs 9.30-2.30pm, for the period of 2 weeks. The placement may be spent in a single role within the same team, or you may consider a rotational placement so mums can find out different things about an organisation. The mums can either choose a individual work placement or a group work placement alongside a small group of WWL mums.
There is no limit to the type of placements we need as the numbers of women we support continue to grow and their interests are so varied- we make bespoke matches depending on the mums aspirations and skills. Examples in the past have included: admin roles, retail, hospitality, support and charity work, TAs, healthcare plus many other industry specific roles.
We can support you to create a placement plan for your mum and you may wish to consider a project for the placement so that our mums will have something tangible to work on and then speak about.
In 2027 we are delivering 9 programmes across Bristol, Bath, South Glos and Somerset. Please do email our Partnerships Manager Fern Davies fern@womensworklab.co.uk to find out more.
Support Us
Recognising that different companies aim to deliver social value in their communities in different ways, the Women’s Work Lab works with organisations in a non-prescriptive way to best support our Mums and our employers.
As a registered C.I.C, we are run entirely for the benefit of the communities that we support. As such, any profits are always reinvested to create greater impact, not to generate shareholder dividends.
