海角视频

When Rachel Mostyn and Camilla Rigby founded Women鈥檚 Work Lab eight years ago, they had one question: where are all the other mums who really want to get back into work, but don鈥檛 have the opportunities?  

Today, Women鈥檚 Work Lab has supported around 700 mums back into meaningful employment through a structured programme designed to rebuild confidence, open doors, and create lasting change. 海角视频 has been part of that journey since 2021, welcoming six Women鈥檚 Work Lab participants on placement during that time.  

Why Women鈥檚 Work Lab exists 

Rachel Mostyn, Co-Founder of Women鈥檚 Work Lab, saw the barriers first-hand. She recalls attending networking events in Bristol, surrounded by brilliant women, yet always feeling a quiet absence 鈥� a sense of 鈥渨here is everyone else?鈥� Her mother鈥檚 experience also shaped her thinking; after becoming disabled, she never had the opportunity to work again, despite having so much to contribute. 

Rachel and Camilla spent two years researching what was stopping mums from returning to work. Three reasons came up time and again: a complete lack of confidence, no recent work experience and a lack of affordable childcare. The result is The Hive, a core programme that combines bespoke classroom training, a structured work placement with a corporate partner like 海角视频 and 1-1 career coaching and mentoring for many months afterwards. 

Participants explore their history, develop insight into their strengths, and build employability skills such as CV writing and interview techniques, all while gaining real-world experience through placement.  

Why 海角视频 said yes 

Sally Curnow, Business Operations Manager at 海角视频, remembers the moment Rachel and Camilla reached out in 2021. 鈥淭hey told us their story. They told us their ethos, and they didn鈥檛 need to say any more. We knew that we needed to do something.鈥� 

For Sally, the partnership addresses something crucial 鈥� hidden talent that has been overlooked because of career gaps or part-time availability. 鈥淚 think for women, it gives us a voice back,鈥� she says. 鈥淲hen there are gaps in CVs they can be pushed to one side, but actually, these people are more than ready for work. They have so much more to give than is perceived on a piece of paper.鈥� 

The placement is structured so participants feel supported from day one. Over four weeks, they rotate through both support and technical teams, including sustainability and physics, water business operations, commercial, finance, facilities, and bids, spending four days a week in the office during school hours. Each team assigns a buddy, and participants receive a full induction, including IT training and health and safety. 

鈥淭o start with, people weren鈥檛 sure if they鈥檇 have the time to support placements,鈥� Sally admits. 鈥淏ut actually, what you get back is so much more than the time you spend. Now we鈥檙e seeing more and more people across the business saying, 鈥榳e can support鈥�, including women engineers who want to show there鈥檚 so much more that鈥檚 possible.鈥� 

The impact on 海角视频 has been tangible. 鈥淚t鈥檚 changed how I look at CVs,鈥� Sally says. 鈥淚鈥檝e cut the bias. It鈥檚 also changed how we write job descriptions 鈥� making the option of flexible and part-time working standard so we are not unconsciously saying do not apply, and are instead tapping into that hidden talent.鈥� 

Crystal鈥檚 journey: from placement to Global Knowledge Coordinator 

Crystal Bridge had no idea what to expect when she walked through our doors for her Women鈥檚 Work Lab placement. A former midwife and teaching assistant, she鈥檇 taken time out to raise her family, before looking to return to work when her husband was unexpectedly made redundant. She came across Women鈥檚 Work Lab at a careers fair in Bath, and two weeks later was offered a place on the programme.  

鈥淣ormally when you go on a course, you鈥檙e expecting to be learning things,鈥� she says. 鈥淎t Women鈥檚 Work Lab, it was not so much about learning new skills but learning what skills you already have, and building these into a bigger picture for employment.鈥� 

Today, Crystal works across buildings and knowledge management 鈥� organising technical conferences, gathering data, and connecting with colleagues across the company. 鈥淚鈥檇 never worked in an office until I stepped foot in 海角视频,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been such a lovely, supportive environment.鈥� 

Her advice to other women is: 鈥淛ust do it. Whatever doubts you have about your own ability or the time you have, it鈥檚 so worthwhile. You鈥檒l meet other women, and together you鈥檒l begin to see what you have in yourselves that can be brought to the surface and utilised.鈥� 

Sarafina鈥檚 story鈥� 

Sarafina joined The Hive in September 2023 after years at home caring for her son, who is autistic and non-verbal, and her younger daughter. She had graduated from university just before becoming a mother, then Covid and a second child closed the window before she could use her degree.鈥�鈥� 

A poster鈥痜or Women鈥檚 Work Lab鈥痠n Tesco changed her trajectory. She applied, and within weeks found herself in a room of women who understood exactly what she had been through 鈥� the isolation, the loss of identity, the creeping doubt about whether she had anything left to offer an employer.鈥嬧�� 

The programme showed her she did. After completing a placement with Mothers for Mothers, she was hired by Women’s Work Lab itself, first as a team administrator and then as Management Information Systems Coordinator. She is now studying part-time for a鈥疢asters in Data Science, with her employer flexing her hours to make it work.鈥�鈥� 

鈥淲orking for Women鈥檚 Work Lab is amazing,鈥� Sarafina says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like finding out how a magician does the tricks鈥�鈥� because you鈥檝e experienced all the magic, and now you鈥檙e on the other side seeing what it takes to make it happen.鈥濃��鈥� 

Applications now open for the 2026 programme 

Women’s Work Lab runs 11 programmes a year across the South West and Birmingham. The flagship Bath programme starts in April at Newark Works, with placements taking place in June. 

If you’re a mum who’s been out of work and ready to take the next step, the application window is now open. Visit 鈥� website to find out more and apply. 

And if you’re a business in the construction, engineering, or built environment sector considering partnership, Sally has a clear message: “Grab it wholeheartedly. Throw yourself into it. The enthusiasm and the motivation we see from participants 鈥�  it’s not what you get every day. We鈥檙e really tapping into hidden talent and it鈥檚 incredible to see the value that brings on both sides.鈥�