A programme helping engineers return to industry after a career break, described as “life-changing”, is launching for the second time in March.
Frazer-Nash Consultancy and STEM Returners will launch a new UK-wide program, offering initially a role for Nuclear Engineering Consultant and Project Data Specialist. It follows a successful pilot programme in 2023 which enabled Chris Goodings to return to the industry.
Chris had been interested in computers since he was a child and at the age of 30, he decided to return to university and complete a degree in computer network management and security. The intention was to get a job as a software developer but having done well in his degree, he ended up training to become a teacher. However, after seven years teaching at secondary school, he wanted to do what he originally set out to do – write code.
Chris
Chris explained: “I thought I would walk out of teaching and into a developer role, but companies wanted 3+ years of experience in the industry, or they wanted you to be a recent graduate. This meant that I found it very challenging to even get interviews, let alone job offers. I had been out of work for a long time, and I was desperate to find a software developer role. I was literally on my last round of applications and was already updating my teaching CV before I got a call from STEM Returners. I explained that coding was my passion, and they made magic happen for me.”
Chris completed the 12-week return to work placement with Frazer-Nash and was then given a six-month contract. It wasn’t long before he was made permanent and promoted into a Technical Clerk role. He has since been promoted to Senior Engineer and is now leading several software development projects.
“Frazer-Nash Consultancy has been amazing,” Chris said. “I feel valued, my ideas and opinions matter, and my voice counts. I have been coding since I was eight years old and thirty-four years later, I have rediscovered my love of learning code. Answering the call to STEM Returners, back in 2023, was one of the single most life-changing events I have experienced, and my future is better because of it.”
Research from STEM Returners shows the challenges people face when trying to return to work following a career break, with a perceived lack of recent experience being the main barrier to entry.
STEM Returners’ 12-week, paid, programme aims to eliminate these barriers by giving candidates real work experience and mentoring during their placement, as well as supporting them to seamlessly adjust to life back in work. Since it launched in 2017, more than 500 professionals have found a permanent role.
Gemma Duncan, Inclusion People Partner at Frazer-Nash said: “The STEM Returners programme has been an excellent way for us to access otherwise overlooked talent bringing new and varied perspectives into Frazer-Nash, helping us to deliver innovative solutions for our clients. The success of the program has been down to the excellent collaboration between our internal teams and STEM Returners, we have been extremely pleased to support all our returners to rejoin the STEM workforce.”
Natalie Desty, Director of STEM Returners, said: “There is a misconception that a gap on your CV leads to a deterioration of skills but in our experience, that could not be further from the truth. Many people on a career break keep themselves up-to-date with the industry and develop new skills that would benefit their employer. But outdated recruitment practices and the search for a ‘unicorn candidate’ mean returners are put to the back of the queue. Stories like Chris’ are very common. But we are making progress. Only by partnering with industry leaders like Frazer-Nash, will we make vital changes in STEM recruitment practices, to help those who are finding it challenging to return to the sector and improve diversity and inclusion.”
