Both organisations are focused on supporting people who face significant barriers to work, including people with convictions, individuals returning after career breaks, and older workers navigating redundancy or career change.

From the outset, the partnership was built around a clear question: how could access to experienced HR professionals add practical value to jobseekers who are often excluded or on the fringes of mainstream employability support?

A flexible and collaborative approach

Croydon Jobcentre and the CIPD Trust agreed a range of ways of working, designed to be responsive to different cohorts and needs. These included tailored group workshops, one-to-one referrals for individual customers, and involvement in jobcentre-led events such as jobs fairs.

In November, the Trust attended a Croydon Jobcentre jobs fair for 18 – 24 year olds, supported by a HR professional volunteering with the Trust. On the day, jobseekers received one-to-one advice on the job search process, CV development and managing interviews. Five attendees registered interest in Trust mentoring programmes, demonstrating an appetite for more in-depth support.

Following this, the Trust delivered a short tailored taster session, which resulted in two people signing up for further mentoring sessions and another progressing towards the six-month Bridging the Gap mentoring programme.

Why HR expertise makes the difference

A key strength of the partnership is the Trust’s ability to connect jobseekers directly with HR professionals who understand recruitment from the employer’s perspective. This gives participants access to honest, practical guidance on what employers look for, how to position skills and experience, and how to talk about gaps in employment or convictions with confidence.

As Max Smith, DWP Recruitment Specialist at Croydon Jobcentre, explains:

Targeted support for over-50s jobseekers

In January, the Trust delivered a dedicated workshop for over-50s jobseekers. Seventeen people attended the session, delivered by CIPD Trust staff member Ressina Chambers alongside HR professional and Trust volunteer Alison Bell.

The session focused on CV development, interview preparation, confidence building, using technology in the job search, and challenging myths around older workers. Participants worked through a “blueprint CV checklist” and shared experiences in a supportive environment that validated their skills and life experience.

Feedback was overwhelmingly positive. One attendee commented after learning they could request interview questions in advance: “You’ve turned this around for me. I’m glad I came to this session as I have learnt something new.”
Zubi, a Jobcentre employee, added: “I’ve never seen our customers more engaged than they were today.”

Five attendees from the workshop have since expressed interest in joining the Bridging the Gap mentoring programme.

Impact and future ambition

The benefits of the partnership extend beyond individual outcomes. Jobcentre colleagues value the professionalism, credibility and real-world insight that HR volunteers bring, while jobseekers gain confidence that their approach to finding work is grounded in how recruitment actually works. As Marcia Henry-Morgan, DWP Recruitment Specialist, notes:

The success of the Croydon partnership is already shaping future plans. The Trust has been invited to present to other South London Jobcentres about its work and, in 2026, plans to use this model to establish similar partnerships with Jobcentres across the country, extending the reach of HR-led, practical support to even more people who need it most.