Women onto Work – Transforming Women’s Lives in Edinburgh & Lothian

Women onto Work (WOW) works with some of the most disadvantaged and marginalised women in the Edinburgh & Lothian region. WOW’s transformational courses help women to improve their self esteem, confidence and skills and access education, training and high quality employment. Perhaps most importantly WOW courses raise attendees’ aspirations and expectations – giving them the desire, confidence and skills to change their lives.

WOW programmes are specifically designed to meet the often complex needs of the participants. One of the key features is the provision of full “wrap around” childcare, without which, recruitment and attendance would be severely compromised and many of Edinburgh’s most difficult to reach citizens would remain without help.

WOW provides a full service through to employment, education and further training. This service ensures that women maintain the momentum of the course and achieve the best possible career outcomes. In the recent round of courses women secured employment with a wide range of companies and agencies including: NHS, City of Edinburgh Council, Sheriff Courts, Housing Associations and employment within retail, catering, care and the financial services industry

Since 1988 WOWhas transformed the lives of over 100 women and their families each year

Who we help – the women

  • The courses are targeted at women experiencing multiple disadvantage including, poverty, disability, mental health, lone parenthood. Some of the women also are affected by drug and alcohol issues and domestic violence and abuse.
  • The women are from especially vulnerable groups who suffer multiple disadvantages in addition to low educational achievement and need a safe, gender-specific environment.
  • At least one of the courses is specifically provided for women from black and minority ethnic (BME) communities and includes English Language Support.

Why the project is needed

Edinburgh and Lothian are areas of stark contrasts. Wealth and advantage sits side-by-side with poverty and deprivation. Many women in Edinburgh and Lothian’s most deprived areas are trapped in a cycle of low aspiration and expectation, unemployment and poverty.

  • WOW is the only organisation providing employability courses exclusively tailored for women experiencing multiple disadvantages such as, poor educational achievement, lone parenthood, low level of skills, recovery from drug/alcohol problemsetc
  • 65% are lone parents with the attendant problems of isolation. Other barriers include low self-esteem, long-term unemployment & perceived discrimination on grounds of ethnicity and/or postcode.
  • Lack of self-confidence and in some cases experience of male abuse makes it of great importance that WOW’s courses are supportive, gender specific and meet individual needs.
  • 92% of the women and their families are living in poverty
  • Courses are always over subscribed. In the last round of courses oversubscription was 72%

Issues Facing WOW women – Action research findings 2006/07

How we help – the courses

WOW core work is the provision of employability training courses, generally lasting 36 days over 12 weeks, which build the confidence and improve the employability of 100 of Edinburgh and Lothians most socially excluded women who face the greatest barriers in returning to the labour market.

The women also undertake a work placement and are supported by WOW’s career guidance services throughout the course and as they move forward in their lives and careers. In addition, they receive basic ICT training, literacy and language support, First Aid training and comprehensive careers guidance.

WOW courses provide an integrated package of training, guidance and support tailored to meet individual needs of beneficiaries. The courses comprise a mixture of personal development and employment focused activities for every participant.

The Personal Development components cover: confidence building and assertiveness training, negotiation skills and team building, time management, decision making/problem solving, equal opportunities training, self-presentation and evaluation skills.

The Employment Focus components cover:InitialComputerised Adult Directions guidance as well as individual ongoing employment/careers guidance and support for employment preparation including a mock interview with actual employers and a9 day work placement.

While each of our courses provides a highly positive experience for the women, we know that a single intervention in itself is often not enough to ensure a long term positive outcome. To help provide positive outcomes for all participants, we deliver ongoing support. Each woman has access to one-to-one support and we also provide up to 10 post course guidance meetings each year. By providing support, linking women to training opportunities and encouraging the development of a positive WOW community, we believe that the long term impact on women and their communities is significantly enhanced.

To help support the women during the courses, subsistence and attendance allowances are paid, plus small bonus on course completion.

An essential element of all WOW courses is the provision of wrap-around childcare. Without this care course take-up and attendance would be significantly reduced and many already disadvantaged women would be further disadvantaged

How the Women benefit

WOW is a project designed to help women to help themselves to create better lives and better communities to live in. WOW courses empower Edinburgh’s most marginalized women to make changes to their lives and give them the confidence to cope with change thrust upon them. WOW courses raise aspirations, improve self esteem and develop skills that enable women to access education, further training and high quality employment.By continuing to monitor the progress of WOW graduates we know that for more than 80% of attendees WOW courses make a direct and immediate impact on their lives.

GRAPH 1 – OUTCOMES 2006/07

After 18 years of successfully supporting women in Edinburgh to bring positive changes to their lives, we know that the benefits are not restricted to the women themselves. Families benefit significantly from the increased aspirations and economic activity. In reaching out to some of the City’s hardest to reach members we are seeding change within their communities. As well as having a direct, positive and immediate impact on the women and their families, we seek to create “role models” within the communities -women who have the confidence to involve themselves directly in the continuing development of their own communities as well as their own lives.