Smart Works brings job fair to Bradford

Women in Bradford who are looking for work are being encouraged to attend a free Jobs fair hosted by local charity Smart Works Leeds, in partnership with Ilkley-based High Speed Training.

The event, which takes place on the 24th September from 10am to 2pm at Bradford City Football Club, will provide local women with an opportunity to meet employers who are keen to bring more women into their workforce, with a variety of live vacancies and training opportunities.

Smart Works Leeds is a women’s employment charity who offer free interview coaching and a dressing service so women can feel confident, be empowered, and find a job quickly. They supported over 800 women across Yorkshire in 2023, and are on course to help 1000 women a year by 2025. 63% of the women supported by Smart Works are in employment within one month of their appointment. Yorkshire Businesswoman have chosen Smart Works Leeds as their charity of the year 2025.

The Women Into Work Jobs fair is being sponsored by Ilkley-based online training provider High Speed Training, who are members of Smart Works' Collective, corporate supporters' network. A registered B-Corp, High Speed Training believes in using their business as a force for good and one of the issues that they focus on is employability.

There will be employers representing the retail, customer services, warehousing, admin, care, construction and hospitality sectors who have multiple vacancies, including part time roles and with entry level opportunities. There are opportunities for women to get support applying for roles in the Civil Service and starting self employment too.

Smart Works will provide anyone who is invited to an interview after the event with a free interview outfit and one-to-one coaching to prepare for it.

The last job fair that Smart Works hosted saw more than 360 women attend to speak to prospective employers, and was attended by a range of local businesses, including Lloyds Bank and Morrisons, who will be returning to the Bradford event. They will be joined by a host of other top employers including Yorkshire Water, Solenis, and the National Media Museum.

Lottie Roberts, outreach manager at Smart Works Leeds, said: “We are so proud and excited to host our first Women Into Work Bradford Jobs Fair, an event to connect women in attendance to prospective employers directly. Our clients often tell us that job application processes are confusing, that they struggle to find opportunities, and that it is really hard to get in front of employers.

“Through this event attendees will be able to find out more about the rich range of vacancies available in Bradford and the surrounding areas and speak personally to top employers- to get advice about making applications and further their job search. It is an honour to do an event on this scale for the women of Bradford.”

Amy Mortimer, head of strategic partnerships at High Speed Training said:
“We are delighted to help Smart Works to deliver their jobs fair in Bradford. We all know how hard it is to make decisions about work opportunities from a job description alone! This event will provide female job seekers in the city with a wonderful opportunity to meet potential employers face to face and get a much better sense of organisations and the roles they have available. We believe that making these connections will have a positive impact on women seeking work and enable Smart Works to help even more women to change their lives for the better.”

To find out more about the event, and to register to attend, visit the registration site or simply show up on the day.