Transcript

SUE BLACK

Hello there. Welcome to this free course, Returning to STEM. I'm Sue Black. And I'm going to be introducing each week with a short overview of what to expect, what you can hope to achieve, and some words of inspiration. I'll be taking you through your eight-week journey back into the world of work in science, technology, engineering, and maths. The Open University has produced this course because we know there are many people, women and men, who are already qualified or experienced in STEM, but not working in these sectors.

I left school at 16 with five O levels. At 25, I was a single parent with three kids, wondering how on Earth I was going to earn enough money to look after my children as they grew up. I decided to go back into full-time education with a view to getting a degree and then a job that would pay a good salary. I was really scared at first and lacked confidence. But I soon got the hang of it and ended up loving it.

There's lots of reasons that you might be in the situation you're in now. You might have been on a career break, taking some time out to look after children or other dependents. Or you may have been made redundant. Or perhaps your contract has ended. Whatever your circumstances, we're here to help you make that transition back into STEM.

This week, you'll start with some reflection. You'll be taking a look back at your previous experiences to see what you can learn from what's already been. You'll be building on the positive and seeing how you can develop ways to deal with the barriers you might be facing. We'll also be telling you about success stories, strategies that other returners have used. So good luck with this week's learning. And I look forward to seeing you again next week.