THE ATOMIC Weapons Establishment is set to redouble its efforts in supporting science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) professionals to return to work, it has announced.
On Wednesday, November 1, also marking National Engineering Day, AWE set out the new programme which will see a minimum of 30 people returning to the industry in the next 18 months, covering multiple disciplines.
These can include physicists, engineers, chemists, project managers, and safety professionals, as well as those in IT, HR, and environmental roles.
AWE has partnered with STEM Returners, which aims to help employers recruit, train, and retain STEM professionals bring qualified and experienced staff into the sector.
STEM Returners will help to source candidates as well as providing a number of mentoring and coaching services.
It follows a pilot programme last year, which saw 12 professionals return to the sector, and is intended to combat a “well-known skills shortage in the UK engineering industry,” during which many people who want to return to the sector, it says, are overlooked.
AWE cites figures from STEM Returners Index which point to recruitment bis as one of the main barriers to entry, and hopes the scheme will eliminate those barriers through mentoring and support.
Director of the scheme Natalie Desty said: “We are delighted to mark National Engineering Day by launching one of our largest programmes to date and expanding our partnership with AWE which is offering a wide range of exciting opportunities to help more people return to industry.
“STEM Returners and AWE share a common commitment to improving the way the engineering industry views people who take a career break and increase equity in STEM. Only by partnering with industry leaders, like AWE, will we make vital changes in STEM recruitment practices, helping those who find it challenging to return to the sector and improve diversity and inclusion.”
Head of talent acquisition Simon Perry said: “We’re delighted to be more than doubling the numbers we are recruiting as part of our STEM Returner programme after the success of last year’s scheme.
“AWE is striving to create workplaces where we recognise and celebrate differences, encourage diverse contributions and our employees feel able to be themselves at work. Our aim is to create a genuine culture of openness and inclusion at AWE and encourage diverse applicants.”
He explained: “Taking a break doesn’t mean a career is curtailed – through our STEM Returners programme candidates will be able to apply their skills, develop their potential and create their own success.
“Being part of AWE means making a real difference by playing a crucial role keeping everyone and everything around us safe and secure for generations to come.”
More information about STEM Returners is available via: stemreturners.com, with AWE Specific positions available at: stemreturners.com
