In the last in our Vision 2030 series we focus on returnships as a way to attract skilled workers back to the industry. Encouraging returnees is crucial for achieving our energy transition goals, especially in the face of a large shortage of skilled workers. A collaborative, industry wide coordinated returnship programme is key to supporting the return of skilled workers and is essential for fostering innovation and efficiency in the transition to a new energy landscape.
Programmes to attract skilled and experienced workers back to the industry and ensure their return is a success could help reverse the impact of the leaky pipeline in resource retention. Returnships or similar initiatives encouraging and facilitating those that have left the industry for caring responsibilities, ill health or other reasons to return, are vital to the success of Vision 2030, accelerating progress towards a fully inclusive and diverse industry.
Returning to work after a career break can be challenging and going straight into a role which isn’t specifically set up for a returner can be even more challenging in the short term. To encourage more people to come back and ensure their return is a success, specific programmes should be considered.
One such type of programme is the Returnship. A returnship is akin to an internship but designed for people returning to work. Typically 2-3 months of paid employment in the same way an intern would have. Similarly to an intern role, there is no need for there to be a permanent role offered after the end of the returnship, although the company may decide they want to do this. Even if a permanent role isn’t offered, the returner will have benefited, refreshing their work experience and skills and having a recent role to discuss with future employers.
Why is encouraging people back to the workforce and industry important?
To achieve the energy transition and Vision 2030 aspirations we need skilled people to develop the capabilities in this new area. But PwC analysis indicates that we’re still 200,000 people short to deliver the transition from the current energy industry capacity. Encouraging people who have left to come back is vital to success, we need those who already have skills and experience of the workplace to revitalise our workforce. This will help close the gender pay gap as a large proportion of leavers are women who have left to focus on their family. More of these women could be encouraged to return by reducing the barriers to taking that first step back.
In addition to this, those on long-term sick are costing the UK and energy industry in terms of lost productivity. This trend is increasing with long-term sickness costing the economy £66.3bn a year by 2030 in lost productivity if the current trends continue. Imagine what the impact on the energy industry already is. Making it easier and less stressful for these people to return will increase the chance of them staying in the workplace.
So what could be done to facilitate this?
More than all the other Vision 2030 strategy elements, this initiative is one that would benefit from industry collaboration. If a centrally coordinated industry body set up a returnship programme which both companies and returners could sign up to, it could have a greater reach and impact. Failing that, individual companies advertising returnships for September or January when summer interns were not in residence would still have a beneficial impact.
The final piece of this jigsaw is companies valuing returners for the skills they could bring back to the workplace. Rather than being mistrustful of career gaps, being open minded and recognising that in a number of instances, returners will have developed a broader skill set than one they could develop solely in the workplace; through their life experiences they bring diversity and this drives value.
For us to deliver the energy transition that is so important to this country we need the best people making up diverse teams, working together to deliver innovation and efficiency. Encouraging and facilitating more people to return to the industry will accelerate progress towards Vision 2030.