Leatherhead returners programme set to boost gender equality in construction

Published by

Tom Kilkelly

Credit: Wates

A partnership programme between Wates and STEM Returners is being launched in Leatherhead to help improve gender imbalances across the construction industry.

The programme at the Wates’ headquarters in Leatherhead will include opportunities across Wates’ construction business, including in site manager, project manager and project engineer roles.

Return-to-work specialists STEM Returners will source the candidates, all of whom will be returning from breaks from work, and provide career coaching and mentoring.

The new programme follows the success of the first partnership between Wates and STEM Returners last year which helped six returners back to industry.

Anwesha Gupta, a STEM Returner who benefitted from the last programme, said: “Most of the time I was told that they saved my resume for future reference. It was tricky to secure a further interview as I didn’t have prior UK experience.”

“There are certain circumstances in people’s lives where they need to interrupt their professional journey in order to take care of other things such as family life and health. But that doesn’t mean the end of their career.”

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Annual research from STEM Returners highlights 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.

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 seamlessly adjust to life back in work.

Natalie Desty, Director of STEM Returners said: “Stories like Anwesha’s are very common. Despite excellent skills, knowledge and experience, a gap on a CV puts you at a disadvantage, which shouldn’t be the case.

“We are delighted to be continuing our partnership with Wates, who share in our commitment to improving the way the engineering and construction industries view people who take a career break and increase equity in STEM.

''Only by working together, will we make vital changes in recruitment practices, to help those who are finding it challenging to return to the sector and bridge the well-known skills gap while improving diversity and inclusion.”

Tom Kilkelly

Tom Kilkelly started working as a freelance journalist for The Business Magazine following his graduation from UCL in 2022. During his studies Tom became very interested in the works of Irish authors including Samuel Beckett and Flann O'Brien (Brian O'Nolan). His current role as a freelance business reporter is his first exposure to the world of business journalism. Working at TBM has given Tom the chance to really get to grips with the goings-on in the business hive that is the South East.