Successful support for women returners through Making Work Work

Written by Anja Kirchhof, Senior Associate, Challenges Group

 The first phase of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund ran from 2022 – 2025, concluding in March.  The UK Government confirmed a continuation year which ensures consistency for the programme until March 2026.  One of the funded projects in Edinburgh was Making Work Work, run by the Challenges Group.  Making Work Work supports professional women who have taken time out of the labour market, to return to work.  In this blog, Challenges Group Senior Associate Anja Kirchhof reflects on the last two years of delivery.

 Between April 2023 and December 2024, the Challenges Group supported 96 Edinburgh women through the Making Work Work – for Edinburgh Women programme. The programme consists of a 6–8-week online training programme with a holistic wrap-around service of masterclasses, mentoring, peer support, and curated self-study.

In addition, the team supported 250 women through outreach and signposting, and a further 9 women through the LEAP (Learning, Employability, and Purpose) programme which included a 6-week work placement.

Within the Making Work Work programme suite, the team work with women who have had a career break for any reason. Typically, women take breaks for maternity, childcare, elderly care, health reasons, redundancy or relocation. Through collaboration with UKSPF, CCP and CEC, Making Work Work has been able to support women who are currently on their career break, as well as those who have returned to work beneath their skills, availability or earning potential, who are “underemployed”.

Learnings that have come out of working with this cohort are that women with management experience or aspirations, who are typically well-educated and skilled, face several barriers to employment. They often face bias or discrimination based on motherhood, age, caring responsibilities or their CV gaps. However, these women are highly educated and have rich work and life experiences, often coming from different countries and cultures, and speaking more than one language. They are keen to learn, keen to work and often keen to pursue careers with social or environmental impact.

Participants thrive through the peer-support experience throughout the programme.  By using the tools and learning provided, many of them are successful in moving into work or progressing in work to roles more aligned with their skills and values, while also increasing their income.

Helen: “[They] decided I wasn't the right fit for the Account Manager job I interviewed for, instead they wanted to put me forward for the Senior Account Manager role! [...] a fantastic permanent job offer [...], which I've just accepted. [...] Thanks again for everything - I can't believe I'm going back into work with a promotion!”

Poppy: “Poppy: “I got the 32 hour position and have been getting settled into this new position over the last 3 weeks. I really enjoyed the interview experience of which MWW programme gave me notable confidence. I secured set days for myself, which was a win as it is a rota with shifts.“

The Making Work Work programme is receiving further funding through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund for 2025/2026 and is continuing to provide training to women in Edinburgh. The latest cohort began in May.  To find out more about the programme, you can visit the Making Work Work website.