New partnership to help STEM professionals return to work after a career break

September 2, 2024

Domino Printing Sciences (Domino) has partnered with STEM Returners on a new programme to help STEM professionals return to work in manufacturing following a career break.

 

As part of the programme, Domino will work with STEM Returners to help four people return to STEM work as part of a structured 12-week placement at their site in Cambridge. The programme is open to anyone on a career break.

Research from STEM Returners (STEM Returners Index) has found that many people face challenges when returning to work following a career break, with recruitment bias against gender, age and race, shown to be the main barrier to entry. For example, nearly a quarter (24%) of women feel they have personally experienced bias in recruitment processes due to their gender compared to nine percent of men.

STEM Returners’ programmes aim 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 Domino 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 entering this new partnership with Domino to return highly skilled people back into the industry they love. There is a well-known skills shortage in the manufacturing industry, 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.”

Andy Clifton, Chief Technical Officer at Domino, said: “At Domino, we celebrate diversity and strive to be a great place to work for everyone, that’s why we’re delighted to be partnering with STEM Returners and look forward to meeting skilled and curious individuals who are keen to progress their STEM career. We recognise that everyone has their own path, and we’d love to help people harness their prior experience to return to their technical roots and reignite their expertise and ambitions within technical roles at Domino.”

 

Since STEM Returners first launched in 2017, more than 500 candidates have joined programmes across the UK. To view STEM Returners’ opportunities, visit https://www.stemreturners.com/placements/.