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Not-for-profit launches to match mid-life marketers with skills shortages in charities
Melanie May | 17 June 2024 | News
A new not-for-profit organisation, The Well Placed, has launched to match the talent of mid-life commercial marketers with skills shortages in the charitable sector.
It follows on from the six-month Charity Interns pilot, which saw over 65% of participants move into roles at charities.
Offering over-50s paid placements with charities including Age UK and the WI, over the next year The Well Placed will match 20 over-50s with experience in marketing for commercial organisations with six-month paid posts at charities in areas including fundraising, campaigns and membership. The positions aim to offer a pathway into a career in the charity sector for mid-life workers, and individuals and charities can register their interest on the site.
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Maya Bhose, The Well Placed’s founder and CEO, said:
“The Well Placed was my response to the challenge I faced trying to move from a senior commercial to a charity marketing role – I felt I had so much to offer but my skills weren’t seen as transferable. What we want to do at The Well Placed is bridge that gap – offer over-50s a chance to turn their expertise into purpose and help charities find a solution to their skills shortages. It’s a win-win.”
Statistics from the Centre for Ageing Better show 1 million people in the UK between 50 and 67 who want to work but can’t get into the job market, while according to a study by Pro Bono Economics, the percentage of roles at charities which have proven difficult to fill as a result of skill shortages rose from 13% of all roles in 2011 to 37% in 2022.
Peter Reeve, Interim CEO of Charity HR Network commented:
“From an HR perspective the charity skills shortage is often exacerbated by a refusal from hiring managers to compromise on the knowledge and experience requirements of their ideal candidate. If we can’t compete financially and we don’t train our own, it’s not entirely clear where these candidates are going to come from. The Well Placed is a solution I feel charities should grasp with both hands.”
The Well Placed is an attempt to address both issues by providing opportunities to mid-life commercial marketers and in turn help charities address skill shortages and support their mission.
Stella Beale joined Alzheimer’s Society on a six-month internship in October 2023 as part of the pilot, and now has a role in fundraising at the charity. She commented:
“Working at Alzheimer’s Society has helped me to gain a great insight into how the charity sector works and how a well-run charity operates. I have enjoyed using my past experience to work for an organisation whose purpose very much resonated with me personally and would encourage any experienced marketers looking to break into the charity sector to sign up with The Well Placed.”
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.