Get back into STEM

Avove launches second programme to help engineers in Telford return to the utilities sector.

A programme that gives people the “confidence to take the leap” and restart their careers has been launched for the second time on International Women in Engineering Day (23 June).

Utilities infrastructure and engineering services company, Avove, has reignited its partnership with STEM Returners and will provide the programme at their sites in Telford, Warrington, Derby and Durham.

It follows the inaugural programme last year, which supported Andrea Calderon back to the workplace after a break of two years. Andrea had relocated to the West Midlands after having her second child, where she started a new job. But the pandemic impacted the company she was working for and led her to put her career on hold and focus on supporting her young family at home. When she was ready to return to work, she found it a challenge despite a degree in Civil Engineering, an MBA in Business Finance, and eight years of experience as a structural engineer.

“I’ve felt the pull to return to work—not just for personal growth and the intellectual challenges I’ve missed, but also to set an example for my daughters,” she explained. “I want them to see that women have a place in society beyond the home and that it’s possible to pursue your dreams while raising a family.

“During my job search, I came across the STEM Returners program, and I’m so glad that I did. They gave me the confidence to take the leap and restart my career. I was matched with a Structural Engineer position at Avove and from the very first week, I felt welcomed—the team was friendly, always happy to help, and open to a quick chat, which made settling into a new company and role much smoother. I was thrilled to be offered a permanent position. I feel like I have rediscovered myself as a professional and that I am once again making a meaningful contribution to society.”

The new programme is open to anyone with a background in science, technology, engineering or mathematics and who is on a career break. STEM Returners will source the candidates and provide support and advice, career coaching and mentoring, to help candidates feel ready and confident to return to work.

Research from STEM Returners identified the challenges people face when trying to return to work following a career break, with recruitment bias stated as the main barrier to entry. It also highlighted that women are more likely to experience recruitment bias than men when trying to return to industry.

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. Avove is committed to increasing the diversity of its workforce and the utilities sector and see this partnership as a pathway to attract a wider and highly skilled talent pool.

Natalie Desty, Director of STEM Returners, said: “We are very proud to continue our partnership with Avove Utilities, and launch a new programme on International Women in Engineering Day.
Despite a well-known skills shortage in the UK engineering industry, and a clear need for people, professionals who have had a career break are often shut out of the recruitment process. Our programme gives these talented people the chance to demonstrate their skills in a supported environment.”

Avove’s People Director, Becky Kimber, said: “Partnering with STEM Returners is core to our aim of creating a working environment where everyone can thrive. We are delighted to launch this exciting returners programme, which aligns with our strategy to continue attracting a diverse and inclusive range of candidates into Avove and the sector.

“We are passionate about giving people the opportunity to return back to the workplace as we believe they can add real value to our business. We want to remove any barriers preventing future talent from resuming their STEM careers, together with training for STEM employers to create more supported routes back to work.”

STEM Returners has recently launched its annual survey to understand STEM professionals’ experiences of trying to re-enter the workplace after a career break. The 2025 STEM Returners Index is open to all STEM professions who have had a gap in their career of any length, or who are attempting to return to work, or who have recently returned to work. The anonymous survey asks a range of questions including reasons for a career break and what challenges were faced when attempting to return to work. The results will enable STEM Returners to further understand the barriers people face, track the progress UK STEM industries are making, and shine a light on the change needed to create fair opportunities for all.

The 2025 STEM Returners Index will be open until 30 June 2025.

Since STEM Returners first launched in 2017, nearly 600 STEM Returners candidates have joined programmes across the UK. To view STEM Returners’ opportunities, visit https://www.stemreturners.com/placements/.