Unlock Your Career Potential: How Edinburgh's Returners Programme Transforms Lives and Breaks Barriers

A returners programme in Edinburgh has been commended for giving people the confidence to take a leap and change careers.

The programme, run by STEM Returners and hosted by Leonardo, aims to eliminate the barriers people face when trying to return to work. It provides candidates with real work experience and mentoring during a placement, helping them adjust to life back in work. Over the past five years, the programme has seen 45 people pursue successful careers at Leonardo.

After a series of disappointing job interviews, Heidi found herself at a career crossroads. She didn’t have a traditional career path to engineering but had built up 20 years of valuable experience in business before completing an MSc in Space Science and Technology.

She had almost secured a job, but the company pulled it before she started, leaving her at a loss for what to do next. However, the role with Leonardo at their site in Edinburgh acknowledged the value of her experience and skills.

"It was disheartening," Heidi said. "I was struggling to find jobs where I fulfilled enough of the employer’s job criteria. STEM Returners clearly understood the value that years of work, whether directly related or not, and life experience, can bring to a career. They gave me the confidence that I could change my career.

"I’ve had such a positive experience with Leonardo. They’ve given me the time and support to learn, as well as the opportunity to contribute to the work of the team from the start of the placement. I’m now in a permanent position as a Senior Systems Engineer on the Typhoon programme. I’m where I’m meant to be."

STEM Returners and Leonardo have launched a new programme representing both organisations’ ongoing commitment to support more professionals back into work after a career break. The new programme will see a further 10 professionals return through placements at the global security company’s sites in Southampton, Bristol, Edinburgh, Luton, Newcastle, Lincoln, and Basildon.

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 indicates that women trying to return to the industry are more likely to experience recruitment bias than men.

Natalie Desty, Director of STEM Returners, said: "Leonardo UK has become one of our most supportive allies in updating outmoded attitudes to career breaks, helping us return nearly 50 people back into the industry. We are very proud to be continuing our partnership with Leonardo and hope it will enable more people to return to the profession they love."

Rachel Ruxton, Head of Inclusion and Diversity at Leonardo, added: "STEM Returners has helped us to identify talented and motivated individuals across the UK, and we’re set to expand our workforce in the coming months to hire more experienced professionals, including engineers at our Bristol, Edinburgh, Luton, Southampton, Newcastle, Lincoln, and Basildon sites.

"We’ve found that the diversity of thought and experience that STEM returners bring to our business has been a tremendous source of inspiration and dynamism."

More than 600 candidates have joined STEM Returners programmes across the UK since the organisation first launched in 2017. To view STEM Returners’ opportunities, visit https://stemreturners.com/live-programmes/.