Students gain real-world skills after working with employability charity

Business students have partnered up with Smart Works North East to come up with ideas to help the charity reach more clients and engage with their services.

The Newcastle based charity helps unemployed women across the region get the coaching, clothing and confidence they need to secure employment.

The charity supports women in preparing for interviews as well as giving them access to an extensive wardrobe of interview-appropriate clothing donated by the public.

Working with Smart Works North East, students were tasked with creating plans for the charity to help reach more women who would benefit from the charity.

Xandrea Marie Sulin Ang, who studies Business and Marketing Management at the University, said: "The module has been an enriching and eye-opening experience. It goes beyond being a compulsory module, equipping me with practical, real-world skills in consultancy and project management that I would not have gained elsewhere.

“I have already applied these skills outside the classroom, particularly in planning events for a music society I have co-founded here at the University.

“Working on a live consultancy project with the charity further enhanced my learning and gave real purpose to the module. Supporting an organisation that empowers unemployed women and builds their confidence for job interviews has been incredibly meaningful.

“Volunteering to promote Smart Works’ services on campus was especially fulfilling, as it further reinforces the positive social impact we are able to make through this module."

The reports that students have created will also be presented to Smart Works North East, offering the charity a range of suggestions to innovate and grow their activity and services.

Helen Boyd, Head of Smart Works North East, said: “It was a pleasure to work with the team at the University of Sunderland. The students have been great, loads of enthusiasm for the charity and our mission, we are really looking forward to hearing all of the suggestions.”

Projects such as this are part of the University’s mission to equip students with the skills they need to flourish in the workplace, including skills to help create a more sustainable future.

This project embeds the United Nations’ sustainable development goals (SDGs) in its workshops, demonstrating to students how project management decisions, such as goal setting, stakeholder engagement, risk management, and performance measurement, can be made more sustainable.

Students had the chance to apply these skills by mapping how the organisation’s outreach and engagement project supports the SDGs, helping them see how everyday project practices contribute to broader social, environmental, community and economic impact.

Dr Matti Morovat BEM, Lecturer in Business at the University, said: “As part of our commitment to delivering practical and socially responsible learning experiences, our students are engaged in supporting the Smart Works North East charity through the design and planning of a client outreach and engagement project.

“Through this experience, students develop key employability skills and gain valuable insight into how project management principles operate beyond the classroom.

“The project also encourages students to consider ethical, sustainable, and responsible approaches to project management, highlighting its role in addressing community needs, supporting social inclusion, and creating positive, lasting value for individuals, organisations, and society."

If you are interested in studying Business and Management at the University of Sunderland, find out more here.