Helping engineers return: UKAEA and STEM Returners deepen commitment to career break professionals
- UKAEA and STEM Returners relaunch partnership to support engineers returning after career breaks
- Second programme offers paid placements and career reboot opportunities in fusion energy
- Returners to receive mentoring, training, and real-world project experience at UKAEA
- First programme success: returners secured permanent roles and contributed to cutting-edge research
The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) has partnered with STEM Returners for the second time, on a new programme to help engineers return to work following a career break.
The new 12-week placement programme will be based at UKAEA’s site in Culham in Oxfordshire and at Whitehaven in Cumbria.
The programme follows a successful pilot programme last year, which helped four people return to engineering roles, including Francesca, who spent time away from engineering, working in educational publishing.
“STEM Returners gave me exactly the support I needed to return to developing scientific software,” she said. “They helped me regain confidence, take a leap, and embrace the adventure of leaving a secure path and going back to the work I love. The team at UKAEA have been welcoming and inclusive, creating a space where different backgrounds are valued and the experience of STEM returning professionals is seen as a strength.”
Research from STEM Returners (The STEM Returners Index) shows the challenges people face when trying to return to work following a career break, with recruitment bias shown to be the main barrier to entry. It also shows that women trying to return to the industry are more likely to experience recruitment bias than men.
The STEM Returners programme aims to eliminate these barriers by giving candidates real work experience and mentoring during their placement, as well as supporting them to adjust to life back in work.
STEM Returners, based in Hampshire, will source the candidates for the UKAEA programme and provide career coaching and mentoring throughout the paid placement. At the end of the programme, returners may be offered the opportunity to become permanent employees.
Natalie Desty, Director of STEM Returners, said: “We are very proud to be working with UKAEA again to support highly skilled people back into the industry. There is a well-known skills shortage across the STEM sector, but despite a clear need for people, professionals who have had a career break are often overlooked. Only by working together will we make vital changes in recruitment practices to help those who are finding it challenging to return to the sector and improve diversity and inclusion.”
Steph Wood, FOSTER Programme Manager UKAEA, said: “To build the fusion sector we need a diverse talent pool at multiple career points. Our collaboration with STEM Returners is an important part of our commitment to broadening our talent pool and addressing the critical skills gap in the sector. We are delighted with the success of the first programme and looking forward to expanding into different areas with this programme.”
Kirsty Hewitson, Director of RAICo, UKAEA said, “We’re delighted to be working with STEM Returners on these two opportunities with RAICo. Diverse experiences and perspectives are needed to drive the development of robotic solutions required to meet nuclear decommissioning and fusion engineering challenges. Delivering social impact is a key objective of RAICo and through STEM Returners we can support this ambition together.”
Since STEM Returners first launched in 2017, 600 candidates have joined programmes across the UK. To view STEM Returners’ opportunities, visit https://stemreturners.com/live-programmes/
To find out more about the Fusion Opportunities in Skills, Training, Education and Research (FOSTER) programme visit https://ccfe.ukaea.uk/programmes/fusion-futures/foster/
To find out more about RAICo visit https://raico.org/
