Today on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science the
Minister for Women and Equalities, Kemi Badenoch, has launched a
new initiative to help people back into science, technology,
engineering and maths (STEM) based careers.
The scheme – backed by £150,000 of Government funding - will be
run by Women Returners and STEM Returners and will target those
who have taken lengthy career breaks to care for others, giving
them the skills they need to succeed in the workplace.
Minister for Women and Equalities, and Secretary of State for
Business and Trade, , said:
“I learned how to code at the age of seven and trained as an
engineer, so I know the importance of science to our economy.
“In the last decade we have seen more girls studying STEM
subjects at school and university, but we know that too many
women later drop out of those careers because they need to care
for children or elderly relatives.
“We are investing in returners so we can plug the STEM gap,
increase workplace equality, and boost our economy. That’s good
business sense.”
Between 2009 and 2020 there was an almost 30% increase in girls
starting STEM A-levels in England, and between 2011 and 2020, the
number of women accepted to full-time STEM undergraduate courses
increased by 50.1% in the UK. But in 2020 women only made up
29.4% of the STEM workforce in the UK.
According to the UK Commission’s Employer Skills Survey 2013, 43%
of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) vacancies
are hard to fill. But there were approximately 75,000 people who
were economically inactive due to caring responsibilities, had
not worked for at least 12 months, had a STEM occupation
immediately before their career break, and would like to return
to work in the future. The majority of these potential returners
are women.
Minister for Women, , said:
“STEM jobs make up a large proportion of our economy, but there
is a shortage in STEM employees and 75,000 STEM returners who
want to get back to work. We know there are women across the
country who have left their jobs to care for elderly relatives or
children, and want to return to work.
“This pilot will help organisations to recruit those who are too
often overlooked because of a gap on their CV.”
Women Returners, experts in return to work consulting, coaching
and networking, will support parents and carers back into the
workplace through personalised employability support,
sector-specific refresh training, and work opportunities.
The STEM ReCharge pilot will provide support and training to
technology and engineering returners in the Midlands and the
North of England. It will also provide support and training for
STEM employers on supportive returner hiring and inclusive
recruitment practices.
Julianne Miles, CEO of Women Returners, said:
“We are thrilled to be partnering with the Government Equality
Hub and STEM Returners to launch the innovative STEM ReCharge
programme in the Midlands and the North of England. There is a
pressing need in these regions to provide this job-readiness
support tailored to parents and carers returning to STEM,
together with training for STEM employers to create more
supported routes back to work for career returners. We’re
confident that this comprehensive programme of support will help
to accelerate the removal of the career break penalty in the UK.”
Natalie Desty, Director of STEM Returners, said:
“We are delighted to be supporting the Government Equality Hub in
increasing the opportunity for Returners in STEM and lowering the
barriers they face when they try to resume their careers. This
programme will allow us to continue our mission to help create a
diverse, inclusive and equitable STEM sector. We are especially
delighted to be collaborating on this project with Women
Returners, as working together we can achieve more.”
The Government has already funded 25 returner programmes across
the private and public sectors. This includes providing a £1.5
million grant fund to support projects in the private sector, as
well as targeting key professions in the public sector, such as
social workers and health professionals. Guidance for employers
on how to support returners, and a toolkit for those on their
return to work journey, is also available via the GOV.UK website.
