Further reading

Further reading and specialist resources for women returners to STEM

There are many sources of information to help STEM returners. In particular, there are professional institutions, employer institutions and federations, government (mainly local) organisations and specialist interest groups.

WISE [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] is a not for profit organisation dedicated to the achievement of increased gender balance in the UK STEM workforce. WISE works from classroom to boardroom to inspire more girls and women to choose STEM careers and to support employers in creating a working environment in which women can thrive and do their best work. Individual membership of WISE is free and WISE counts some of the country’s largest STEM employers amongst its corporate and institutional members.

For professional scientists interested in returning to an academic or similar research-orientated career the Wellcome Trust has a helpful returners’ guide – ‘Getting back into research after a career break’. This guide has been put together for people who, after a substantial break, are thinking about making the step back into research in biomedical or public health areas, although the advice given here should be broad enough to apply to other fields in science and medicine.

The Daphne Jackson Trust provides funded two year fellowships for returners to STEM research. Further details of how to apply can be found at their website.

Some professional bodies also provide specialist resources for career break returners.

• The London Mathematical Society women’s section offers career guidance and support for women (and includes a LinkedIn group).
• The Institute of Physics runs workshops for members planning a career break and negotiating work-life balance on their return.
• The Royal Society of Chemistry has a Women Members Network.

For engineers, the Women’s Engineering Society provides peer support for women engineers of any discipline.

There are 30+ professional engineering bodies at the Engineering Council site. Many of these are concerned with the national shortage of engineering skills and keen to recruit and retain women engineers.

The BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, has a women’s network BCSWomen.

There are a number of recruitment agencies that specialise in STEM recruitment, especially in the engineering and technology sectors. One agency that is general in its scope is STEM Graduates.