Free clothes help students become work-ready

QUT's Ingrid Larkin at a pop-up clothes shop. | Newsreel
QUT's Ingrid Larkin at a pop-up clothes shop. | Photo: Supplied by QUT

Students struggling with cost-of-living pressures will have access to free clothes to help them become work-ready.

A “Clothes for Careers” pop-up shop will operate from the QUT Gardens Point campus for the month of May, with plans to run another pop-up shop next semester.

Hundreds of “gently worn” items of professional clothing, including shoes and handbags, have been donated by university staff and their community networks for the project, and sorted by volunteers.

They will be available to students for free to ease some of the financial pressure associated with work placements, interviews and new jobs.

QUT fashion students will also be volunteering at the shop to help other students choose clothes and style them for work.

Ingrid Larkin from the Faculty of Business and Law oversees work integrated learning opportunities for students and came up with the idea after talking to students about their needs.

QUT Sustainability Manager Leigh Burgess said the pop-up shop was now part of the wider QUT Green Impact Program, which encourages staff to get involved with sustainability on campus.

“We already have an amazing community of staff members who donate to projects such as the QUT Guild Foodbank, so this is giving them another avenue to help our students,” Ms Burgess said.

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