A South West London charity offers free career support programmes, helping those over 40 return to work.
Room for Work offers a 12-session course covering key issues for job hunters including networking, public speaking and CV skills.
Robin Bell founded the company in 2012 after being made redundant and struggling to find a new job.
Bell, who is also Room for Work’s programme leader, said: “I had to go out looking for a job and I wasn’t very good at it.
“I needed some support and I couldn’t find anything locally in Richmond, or in fact in London, that I didn’t have to pay for – and pay quite a bit for.”
The free course offered by Room for Work, is solely targeted at over 40s, and aims to combat the ageism faced by older workers.
Ageism, also known as age discrimination, refers to discrimination or prejudice based on a person’s age, for example in the workplace.
In the UK, ageism is one of the most normalised and least scrutinised forms of discrimination.
According to the Centre for Ageing Better, more than a third of 50 to 69 year olds feel at a disadvantage applying for jobs due to their age.
Bell said that the average age within the group is approximately 50 years old, encompassing a wide age range from individuals in their 40s to those in their 70s.
Graphic designer Sarah Kellaghan, who had been out of work for a year, said: “It’s a lifestage and gradually I found that a lot of my contacts in the industry, who might have been able to see me back into a full time position have been falling by the wayside because my industry is very much a young person’s industry.
“Before Room for Work, I was thinking maybe I should be looking at jobs outside my sector, because I’m not going to be hired anymore.
“Now, I feel completely different about that and I’m thinking, I’m going to upskill and I’m going to keep on going on.”
The final class is an immersive interview workshop, where a volunteer participates in a live interview in front of their peers.
Kellaghan took part in a course last year and says it significantly boosted her confidence, leading to further career success.
Kellaghan said: “One of the things from the sessions that really stood out for me was analysing my skill set, because I think my confidence was pretty low.
“I was so shy to stand up in front of the class and talk but by the end of the course, just before Christmas, I was actually the interview candidate which I never would have imagined.
“Everybody was there supporting and I feel that if I can do that, I can do anything.
“In fact, I’ve got two projects this year already because I’ve reached out and contacted people that I perhaps didn’t have the confidence to do before I started the course.”
As well as developing practical skills, participants feel a strong sense of community with everyone motivating and supporting each other.
When asked about the social benefit of taking part in the course, Bell said: “That’s a real levelling factor for people.
“They’re all the same in the class because they’re unemployed and they help each other.
“The social aspect of what we do I believe has as much value as the content, and the content is really good.”
Room for Work courses are now delivered at five locations, serving residents across four London boroughs.
For more information about Room for Work courses, see https://roomforwork.org/programme/
Image Credit – Robin McKay Bell
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