BMT is proud to announce a transformative partnership with STEM Returners, an initiative that facilitates the return of skilled professionals to the STEM industry after a career break. This strategic collaboration aims to create inclusive opportunities and foster diversity within the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.
11 October 2023
As part of its ongoing commitment to enhancing inclusion, BMT will offer the proven STEM Returners programme at its locations across the UK and Australia. The fully paid 12 weeks’ programme is open to people who have had a career break and acts as a ‘returnship’ allowing candidates to be reintegrated into a professional environment upon their return to the workplace. The roles will be split regionally across BMT’s UK/Australia businesses and sites, covering Cyber Security, Systems Engineering, Project Management and Management Consulting teams in the UK (Bath, London, Teddington, Fareham, and Weymouth), and Environment and Climate Solutions in Australia (Perth, Brisbane and Sydney). They will include positions such as Cyber Security Consultant within the defence and security sector, and Environment/Sustainability/Climate Change/ESG Consultant or Engineer and Flood Engineer within the environment and renewable energy sectors.
The first ever launch of the STEM Returners’ international dual ‘returnship’ programme has the potential to be extended into other BMT regions over time. The return-to-work specialists will source the candidates and provide them with additional support including advice, career coaching, and mentoring, ensuring any future applicants and employees for BMT are well-prepared, ready, and confident for a safer return to work.
STEM Returners in the UK was founded in 2017 by Natalie Desty after she saw how hard it was for people to gain employment with a gap on their CV. It has since helped more than 400 professionals return to work. STEM Returners Australia was launched in 2020, by a former colleague of Natalie’s, a two time return to work mum herself, Marcail Roe understood the barriers and challenges faced when re-entering the workplace.
Natalie Desty, Founder and Director of STEM Returners, said: “We are delighted to be launching our first international dual STEM Returners programme alongside our colleagues in Australia, and with BMT. There is a well-known skills gap across the engineering sector in both the UK and Australia and there is a hidden workforce that can help fill those roles, but these people are often overlooked.”
“People who have a had a career break face an uphill battle to return to the industry – there is a misconception that a gap on your CV leads to a deterioration of skills, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Many returners keep themselves updated with the developments from their industry and have advanced transferable skills that can benefit their employers. This programme will help those who are finding it challenging to return to the sector, as well as supporting companies, to improve diversity and inclusion.” added Desty.
Marcail Roe, Director of STEM Returners Australia, added: “We are very proud to be entering a new partnership with BMT to provide an inclusive platform to bring professionals back to the industry and bridge the skills gap. Only by partnering with innovative industry leaders like BMT will we make vital changes in STEM recruitment practices.”
BMT’s Global People Director Gudrun Neumann, shared her enthusiasm for this transformative partnership: "At BMT, we believe in the power of diversity and inclusion to drive innovation and progress, as reflected in our workplace’s strategic commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I). Our collaboration with STEM Returners reflects our dedication to supporting skilled professionals as they reignite their careers and make a meaningful impact within the STEM industry. We are excited to welcome these returning talents to our teams and witness the transformative contributions they will bring via a structured and supportive route back into industry."
“This nurturing STEM-based recruitment programme builds on other funded community projects of ours that help to reduce isolation and promote integration, such as our partnership with local Armed Forces communities. This partnership is further reinforced by our gold status ‘Armed Forces Covenant Employment Recognition Scheme’, a key part of our DE&I strategy and talent acquisition principles” added Neumann.
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