Desty points to a specific "retention issue" that plagues women in the middle stages of their careers. Many of these professionals would have stayed in their roles had they been provided with a more supportive and flexible environment. Instead, many felt a sense of guilt, as if their need for a different work-life balance was "letting the company down." This cultural pressure often leads to a clean break from the industry, which many assume will be temporary. A woman might step away intending to return in six months or a year, only to find that the "CV gap" has become a stigma that keeps them out for five years or more. The longer the break, the harder the climb back becomes, as confidence wanes and the industry evolves.
To bridge this divide, STEM Returners facilitates supported placements that allow employers to see what a candidate can actually do, rather than judging them solely on their recent employment history. This model acts as a "working interview," providing a low-risk environment for both the employer and the returner to reintegrate. The results have been remarkably successful. To date, the program has helped approximately 700 people return to the workforce, with a staggering 96% of them securing permanent roles at the end of their placements. This success rate suggests that the perceived "rustiness" of returners is largely a myth; once given the opportunity, these professionals quickly prove their value.
However, the implications of these returner programs extend far beyond individual career success. They are increasingly being recognized as a vital mechanism for the "transfer of learning" across different industrial sectors. As the global energy transition accelerates, the UK is seeing a massive shift away from traditional fossil fuels toward renewables, nuclear power, and carbon-capture technologies. A returner program allows for the cross-pollination of skills. For instance, a mechanical design engineer who spent two decades in the oil and gas sector possesses a deep understanding of complex systems, safety protocols, and project management that is directly applicable to the offshore wind or nuclear industries.
By pivoting these existing skills, the UK can more rapidly scale its green energy infrastructure. Rather than waiting three to five years for a new graduate to become fully proficient, companies can bring in a returner who already understands the fundamentals of engineering and simply needs to adapt their knowledge to a new context. This transferability is particularly crucial in high-stakes sectors like defense engineering, where the skills gap is especially pronounced. Taking experienced professionals from rail, automotive, or aerospace and integrating them into defense or energy projects creates a more resilient and versatile national workforce.
