Giving Compass’ Take:
• Asha Vade reports that returnships are helping parents enter back into the workforce by offering training programs and skill-building to reacquaint them with what they’ve missed.
• How can philanthropists partner with businesses to make workforce re-entry programs more prolific? Can businesses start to provide training directly?
• This video series follows top women in technology jobs and highlights their growing presence in tech.
I had made the decision to leave my technical project manager position in order to better support my family. I knew I didn’t want to lose the best years with my child, who now needed me to be present in the moment, to be engaged, to have energy. But when I made the difficult decision to take a break, I never imagined that my career wouldn’t be waiting for me when I was ready to return.
As I hit the pause button on my professional life, I planned to return to work when the time was right. But once I started my job hunt, I realized I had a harder road ahead of me.
Many working parents face re-entry issues, but the challenge can be more pronounced in the tech industry. According to research by AnitaB.org and the Michelle R. Clayman Institute, “the mid-level is perhaps the most critical juncture for women on the technical career ladder because it is here that a complex set of gender barriers converge.”
The pipeline for women in technology to senior-level roles has a leak. Many companies are taking an innovative approach to supporting women in the workplace, especially women in the technology industry, through a new kind of initiative: “returnships.”
Returnships are a type of internship program that provides a way for organizations to recruit and on-board mid-career men and women who have taken a break in their careers and want to re-enter the workforce. The nice part of returnships? You’re not starting at the bottom of your career all over again; instead, your skills and past experience are recognized as a part of the program for you to build from.
Read the full article about returnships by Asha Vade at Mashable.
Learning and benchmarking are key steps towards becoming an impact giver. If you are interested in giving with impact on Women and Girls take a look at these selections from Giving Compass.
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