Dive Brief:
- Employers are starting to institute programs that are specifically designed to bring back workers that have a substantial "resume gap" in order to close certain talent gaps, according to the Chicago Tribune.
- Professionals who take a break to raise kids, care for a parent or just to refuel their mojo used to be considered a long shot to return to the workforce. But the emergence of programs called "returnships" is a sign that some employers, especially those in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) industries, are specifically seeking out that talent.
- Women, who comprise the career breaker majority, have the most to gain from these new opportunities, the Tribune reports.
Dive Insight
With their own talent and diversity challenges, employers mentioned in the article are using what amount to paid internships to try and help workers with resume gaps get back on track. The ultimate goal for both parties is a full-time job at the end of the line. For example, General Motors' program, called Take 2, has gotten more than 300 applications for 10 slots this year. GM's 10 interns' career gaps ranged from four to 21 years.
Carol Fishman Cohen, CEO of iRelaunch, which provides tools and resources for career relaunchers, told the Tribune that an estimated 2.6 million educated mothers of prime working age are not in the labor force. As a result, she said, the vast majority of "career relaunchers" are women who stopped working to raise children.
Cohen noted that having to return to the working world through what amounts to a tryout might be frustrating for some, but she called returnships "resume-worthy" experiences that enhance a candidate while making a hire less risky for employers.
