Clothing charity diversifies successful model

Yes for Success, formerly Dress for Success Wellington, has provided a safe space for its clients to navigate job searching for any age or gender for free. HannaMcCallum investigates.

At 40 years old and decades in the workforce, Scout Schultz was confronted with the question of “what next”.

In December last year he closed Secret Secret Club – a co-working space in central Wellington which had unintentionally become a creative hub for the queer community, hosting events and workshops.

Financial reasons drove its closure but, looking back, he reflected he was probably trying to do too many things at once and it had become unsustainable.

Schultz wasn’t 20-something any more, unwilling to pick-up odd hospitality jobs to get by, but figuring out which direction to pivot, and how, wasn’t necessarily easier with age.

Yes for Success, formerly Dress for Success Wellington, opened up a safe space to navigate the life pivot, he said.

Part of a global charity, it aimed to empower women into work with a new wardrobe and styling in preparation for job interviews, as well as offering other free services including career coaching, workshops and work experience.

Yes for Success launched its official rebranding last week to be more inclusive of all genders and reflect the Wellington community, executive manager Jacqui Eyley said. It had been catering to men and gender diverse people in recent years but the branding had been female exclusive.

Schultz said the career coaching had helped focus his interests and values, and helped his understanding of the job market.

“It’s really quite helpful to actually have somebody, a professional, to understand the nature of what’s currently happening in Wellington and seeing your place in it,” he said.

He felt safe to raise any fears, and felt heard.

With its rebranding Yes for Success celebrated the opening of its second recycled clothing boutique store on The Terrace, a year after its first store opened in Lower Hutt at its client hub.

It was driven by a desire to be more sustainable by diverting clothing from landfill, Eyley said.

About 180,000 tonnes of textile waste was dumped in Aotearoa each year, she said.

In the last Wellington City Council audit of waste at the Southern Landfill in November 2018, textile waste comprised 5.3 per cent, or 93 tonnes a week, of total solid waste. It was up 109% from 2009 when it averaged 45 tonnes a week.

“I’m proud to say that in the past 12 months, we were able to recycle over 5 tonnes of clothing through our client suiting and styling service, and sales in our ‘dressed’ recycled stores,” Eyley said.

The boutique store was also a way to diversify the organisation’s income and provide work experience opportunities, particularly for people who recently moved to Aotearoa and faced barriers to employment because of language and a lack of work experience in the country.

Consistent funding was important to establish relationships with communities

and gain trust so people felt comfortable to ask for help, Eyley said.

Yes for Success currently had volunteers from countries including Afghanistan, China and Sudan.

One volunteer, who asked not to be named, said the work experience gave her routine and had a positive impact on her

mental health through socialising, meeting new people and learning new skills.

It gave her more confidence to send her CV to potential employers by having the necessary retail experience, she said.

For Adam Wills, an appointment with Yes for Success and a new outfit gave him the confidence and push he needed to put himself out in the job market and find work. The “motivational pre-appointment” to a job interview was “the oomph to get you out of the chair”, Wills said.

He had been involved with the organisation over the last couple of years, introduced through the Ministry of Social Development.

“It’s really good, last minute, if you don’t have anything to wear or you felt the need to not go because you didn’t have anything to wear.

‘‘They’ll always pull through and give you options.”

Wills said sometimes the stylists pushed his boundaries to help him develop his own style within a “professional look”. Figuring it out was empowering, he said.

“It just looked very nice and chic.” It made him feel more comfortable during the interview, helping boost his charisma.

For the past six months Wills had worked in a team administration role at Oranga Tamariki.

He said the rebranding of Yes for Success made it more approachable and welcoming for a diverse group of people. Identifying as gender fluid, he had dabbled into the female section for jackets.

Wellington resident Candie Bush, 46, was unemployed for five years. Despite being proactive in applying for jobs, including door-knocking prospective employers, she could not land a job.t

The Covid-19 pandemic didn’t help and the experience was disheartening, Bush said.

She was introduced to Yes for Success through Work and Income about three months ago and was offered a job within six weeks.

She had just completed about four weeks of training for a job as a cabin attendant on the Interislander ferries and started the job on Sunday.

For Bush, the styling helped boost her confidence and self-esteem.

“It’s nice to have somebody actually giving you a different spin,” she said, being given seven or eight different outfits, including shoes and accessories.

“If you’re looking nice, it makes you feel good and hopefully it makes you feel good in the interviews you go to.”

For Schultz, it was important to be able to bring “your whole self” to the workplace, often looking for queer spaces, as well as having a good work-life balance and opportunities for growth.

“Does it feel safe, does it feel authentic, does it feel like you can be a Rainbow person and do they help support people’s needs.”

He had help finding options to up-skill himself and working through rejections. Each experience was a learning step to improve for the next.

The career coaching made him feel affirmed and confident to be feel proud of himself and assess his options.

In July, he began working for Core Schedule as the executive administrator – a role he enjoyed.

Yes for Success provided the stepping stones to get back on track.

“There’s not that many places around that do that – unless you’re paying for it.”