Safran Seats has teamed up with the STEM Returners to launch a pilot programme open to engineers in Wales who have had a career break.

STEM Returners, based in Hampshire, will source candidates for the programme, which aims to return or transfer experienced engineers back into industry following a career break. The fully paid placements act as a ‘returnship', allowing candidates to be re-integrated into an inclusive environment upon their return to STEM.

The new jobs scheme will be based at the sites in Cwmbran, where Safran Seats is based. A number of roles are available at different levels including design engineers, manufacturing engineers, Bill of Materials Analyst, Engineering Project Lead and Operations Quality Engineer.

Successful candidates may be offered full-time positions at Safran Seats upon the completion of their 12-week placement. Since STEM Returners launched in 2017, more than 200 STEM Returner candidates have joined programmes across the UK.

The STEM Returners' programme aims to eliminate barriers, by giving candidates real work experience and mentoring during their placement and helping them to adjust seamlessly to work life. The scheme helps solve the problem of sourcing talent in sectors that need it and has the added benefit of increasing diversity in a host organisation. STEM Returners' population of experienced professionals who are attempting to return to work are 51% female and 38% from black and minority ethnic groups (BME), compared to 10% female and 6% BME working in the STEM industry.

Natalie Desty, Director of STEM Returners said:

“We are very proud to be entering this new partnership with Safran to return highly skilled people back into the industry they love. Only by partnering with industry leaders like Safran, will we make vital changes in STEM recruitment practices, to help those who are finding it challenging to return to the sector and improve diversity and inclusion.”

Sarah Curtis, Safran UK Human Resources Country Leader said:

“Supporting diversity and inclusion initiatives is a key strategic aim for Safran. We recognise the challenges that experienced professionals can face following a career break and the STEM Returners programme is fantastic as it helps foster inclusion by giving people a route back into skilled roles. We are delighted to be taking part and are looking forward to welcoming successful candidates to Safran UK.”

Annual research from STEM Returners (The STEM Returners Index) has revealed the challenges people who have had career break face, when trying to return – recruitment bias being the main barrier to entry.