STEM ReCharge: Breaking into STEM After a Career Break

On February 11, the UK government launched STEM ReCharge, a new initiative to support women re-entering the STEM workforce after taking a lengthy career break.

Photo credit: STEM Returners

In honour of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science (IDWGIS), the Minister for Women and Equalities, Kemi Badenoch MP, announced plans for a pilot training scheme to help returners land jobs in the STEM field.

The Government Equality Hub has pledged £150,000 of funding to support the training programme, which is being run by Women Returners and STEM Returners, two of the UK’s leading organisations offering mentoring and networking opportunities for people returning to a STEM-based career.

The initiative targets women who have taken career breaks to fulfil caring duties, providing services such as one-to-one coaching, technical upskilling, and refresher training to increase the job readiness of those who’ve not worked for at least 12 months. 

Kemi Badenoch MP said,

“We’re investing in returners so we can plug the STEM gap, increase workplace equality, and boost our economy. That’s good business sense.”

In the UK, there are believed to be 75,000 people who are economically inactive due to caring responsibilities, who previously had an occupation in the STEM field, and who are keen to return to work, the majority of whom are women.

STEM ReCharge will be operating in northern England and the Midlands following research conducted by STEM Returners and Women Returners which found that these regions have significantly fewer returner programmes than in the south. 

Between 2020 and 2022, there were 1.6 returner programmes per million people in the Midlands compared to 7.8 per million in London and 5.3 per million in the South West. 

By tackling the professional and psychological barriers to entry that returners face, STEM ReCharge is a promising step in the move to create a more equitable STEM sector that prioritises diversity and inclusion in the recruitment process.  

Julianne Miles, CEO of Women Returners, said,

“We’re confident that this comprehensive programme of support will help to accelerate the removal of the career break penalty in the UK.”

Applications for STEM ReCharge open in March and employer insight events are set to take place in April in hub cities including Liverpool, Birmingham, and Leeds. 

To find out more about how you can get involved in STEM ReCharge, click here.