Employment Pathway Program | Mel Jay

We Are Coming

For Her Employment Pathway Program

A focused 6 week pathway for wāhine ready to turn their progress into employment, education and opportunity.

What is this program?

For Her Employment Pathway is a focused 6-week programme designed to support wāhine who are ready to take practical steps toward employment, education, training or a longer-term career pathway.

Building stability and confidence is only one part of reintegration. The next step is learning how to turn that progress into real-world opportunities. This programme provides hands-on support to help wāhine identify where they want to go, understand what it will take to get there, and actively begin taking those steps.

This programme combines:

Career and pathway exploration
Identifying strengths, skills and transferable experience
CV and cover letter development
Job and course searching
Completing real applications
Interview preparation and practice
Professional communication and presentation
Workplace expectations, boundaries and confidence
Digital skills for employment and study
Understanding employment, education and training options
Identifying and working through practical barriers
Individual goal setting and action planning
Connections to employers, training providers and further opportunities where available
Mentorship and practical support throughout the process

The goal is simple:
To bridge the gap between being ready for change and taking meaningful action, supporting wāhine to move toward sustainable employment, education, training and greater independence.

Dress for Success Partnership

We’re incredibly excited to be partnering with Dress for Success Christchurch as part of the For Her programme.

Dress for Success is an amazing Christchurch organisation dedicated to helping women build confidence and move towards employment and financial independence through practical support, career guidance, and professional styling services. Their mission goes far beyond clothing. They help women feel prepared, capable, and confident as they step into new opportunities.

As part of this partnership, participants in our programme will have access to a private one-on-one styling appointment where they can work with a stylist to select clothing that suits their goals, personality, and circumstances. This includes access to quality clothing, shoes, accessories, jewellery, and other essentials to help them feel confident and work-ready. Appointments are delivered with dignity, respect, and complete confidentiality.

For us, this partnership aligns perfectly with our kaupapa. Reintegration isn’t just about employment skills. It’s about rebuilding confidence, identity, and self-belief. We’re incredibly grateful to be working alongside an organisation that understands the powerful connection between how we feel about ourselves and our ability to move forward.

Who is this for?

For Her Employment Pathway is open to wāhine 18+ who:

Are ready to take practical steps toward employment, education or training
Want support identifying a realistic pathway forward
Are unemployed, underemployed or looking to transition into a new direction
Want to build confidence navigating applications, interviews and professional environments
Are ready to actively work on their goals during the programme
Can commit to attending once a week for 6 weeks

We especially welcome wāhine who may have experienced barriers to employment or education, including:

Family or domestic violence
Addiction or recovery
Justice system involvement
Long-term unemployment
Financial or socioeconomic hardship
Generational disadvantage
Parenting or caregiving responsibilities
Limited previous employment experience
Low confidence returning to work or study
Other barriers that have made traditional employment pathways difficult to navigate

You don’t need to know exactly where you’re going. You just need to be ready to start exploring how you’ll get there.

For Her Employment Pathway isn’t only about finding a job. For some wāhine, the next step will be employment. For others, the most sustainable pathway into employment may begin with study, training, gaining a qualification or developing new skills.

Throughout the six weeks, we work alongside each wahine to identify a pathway that reflects her strengths, circumstances, capacity and longer-term goals. This is a practical, action-focused programme. Participants won’t just learn about CVs, applications, courses and interviews. They’ll have supported time to work on them, practise them and take real steps toward their next opportunity because reintegration isn’t simply about being ready to move forward. It’s about having the support, tools and opportunities to actually do it.

Program details

Duration: 6 Weeks

Days: 1 Day Per Week (Mondays)

Time: 10am – 1pm

Location: For Her Salon, Spreydon. Christchurch

Cohort Size: 15 participants

This programme is fully funded through community support.

What you'll gain

By the end of the programme, participants will:

Identify their strengths, existing skills and transferable experience
Explore realistic employment, study and training opportunities
Create or update a professional CV
Develop a tailored cover letter that can be adapted for future applications
Learn how to search and apply for jobs, courses and training opportunities
Complete real applications with support
Build confidence communicating with employers, education providers and other professionals
Practice interview skills through supported preparation and mock interviews
Understand workplace expectations, communication, boundaries and professional standards
Build practical digital skills for navigating employment and education
Identify barriers that may impact their pathway and create practical strategies to work through them
Receive a professional wardrobe through our Dress for Success partnership
Build connections with a supportive group of wāhine
Receive individual guidance around their next steps
Leave with a clear, practical pathway forward
Receive a certificate of completion and a character reference

Your pathway forward might include:

Employment
Support to identify opportunities, apply for suitable roles and take steps toward entering or returning to the workforce.

Study or Training
Support to identify suitable courses, qualifications or training providers and begin the enrolment or application process.

Career Development
Referral to career coaching, specialist employment support or further skill development where additional guidance would be beneficial.

Every wahine’s pathway will look different. The goal isn’t to push everyone toward the same destination. It’s to make sure you leave knowing what your next step is and how you’re going to take it.

By the end of the programme, you won’t just have more information. You’ll leave with a CV, cover letter, increased confidence, practical experience and an individual pathway forward into employment, education, training or further career support.

Commitment & Expectations

For Her Employment Pathway is a structured programme.

Participants are expected to:

• Attend at least 80% of sessions

• Arrive on time and stay for the whole session

• Follow dress and professionalism standards

• Respect confidentiality

• Be open to feedback and growth

• This is a re-integration salon so must not be under the influence of any substances when at the program

This is a supportive but accountable environment.

Why?

For Her exists because too many women are left rebuilding alone.

Leaving violence, addiction, or hardship is one step.

Rebuilding identity, income, and opportunity is another.

This programme was created to offer a bridge.

A space that is safe, structured, and focused on forward movement without dismissing what you've experienced and acknowledging the hardships that can come across your path while you navigate your journey we are here to support and empower you even through the hard moments.

Application process

Spots are limited to maintain a safe and supportive environment. If this feels aligned, we encourage you to apply.

How to apply:

Step 1: Complete the application form

Step 2: Short phone interview

Step 3: Confirmation of acceptance

Applications close: FULL

Next cohort begins: November 2026 applications will open at the start of October.

If you'd like to go on the waitlist or have any questions please send an email to hellomeljay@gmail.com or if you're ready to apply please apply below.