Leonardo and STEM Returners launch career lifeline

Image courtesy STEM Returners

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

The new programme will see a further 10 professionals return through a programme at the global security company’s sites in Bristol, Edinburgh, Luton, Southampton, Newcastle, Lincoln and Basildon. 

STEM Returners creates a path for returners to rise through the ranks of the organisations they join, proving that the application of transferable skills enhances a company’s workforce. The organisation is able to identify an individual’s transferrable skills which can be reapplied in new roles.

For example, 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’ worth of valuable experience in business before completing a 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. But the role with Leonardo acknowledged the value of her experience and skill. 

“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.”

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

Natalie Desty (above), 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, said: “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 can bring to our business has been a tremendous source of inspiration and dynamism for our business.”



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