White Paper Validates Re-entry Programs as a Powerful Solution to Increasing Diversity and Closing the Gender Gap in STEM

CHICAGO, April 26, 2017 -- As engineering and technology companies develop approaches to close the gender gap within their organizations, the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) offers an unparalleled perspective with the release of the white paper, “An Intervention Strategy to Re-engage Women Engineers in the Workforce.” Drawing from the flourishing STEM Re-entry Task Force (Task Force) program, the white paper addresses the demand for experienced technical leaders in STEM and the hidden talent pool of technical women on career breaks; the value proposition of a re-entry program and the unique advantages received through participation in the program; and organizational readiness in starting a re-entry program as well as best practices for implementing the solution in technical organizations. The white paper can be downloaded here.

While more women than men are graduating with four-year degrees, women are significantly underrepresented in the engineering industry, and more likely to leave due to cultural influences. As explained in the white paper, without intervention strategies, the current demand for technical talent combined with the projected increase in the need for engineers will result in a significant shortage of skilled labor throughout the United States engineering industry.

“Increasing the persistence of women in engineering at all stages of their careers is imperative to solving this talent shortage,” said Karen Horting, executive director and CEO at SWE. “Diversifying talent pipelines and increasing gender diversity not only addresses labor shortages, but it also fosters innovation and increases competitiveness in the global marketplace.”

To create a solution, SWE partnered with career re-entry firm iRelaunch to implement a program that would target a hidden talent pool – women with technical degrees on career breaks – and engage them with internships as a vehicle for re-entry. The Task Force meets the needs of women wanting to return to work after a career break while also addressing the challenge encountered by employers in attaining a diverse workforce at all levels of their organizations.

“SWE utilizes its brand, global presence, and reach to find qualified talent and broaden the awareness of these programs to further the work of the Task Force,” says Jennifer Abman Scott, Vice President of Fund Development at SWE.

The Founding Members of the Task Force included Booz Allen Hamilton, Caterpillar, Cummins, General Motors, IBM, Intel Corporation and Johnson Controls. The white paper features interviews with the Task Force members discussing their individual approaches to the program, strategies for success and outcomes. The original Task Force programs had over 60 interns participating in the 2016 inaugural year with 60 percent to 100 percent converting to full-time employees.  As of press time, 110 interns had participated in Founding Member programs.

“The conversion rates of the Task Force re-entry internship programs completed to date reflected or exceeded conversion rates in the financial services re-entry internship programs, underscoring the success of the re-entry internship concept in general,” said Carol Fishman Cohen, CEO at iRelaunch. Cohen has deep experience working with relaunchers and companies to develop re-entry programs, and the Task Force members benefited from her subject-matter expertise throughout the program.

“Re-entry internship programs developed by large global companies are causing an institutional shift in the way employers engage with professionals returning to work after a career break,” Cohen added.

From the perspective of the Founding Member companies that participated in the Task Force– nearly all of which are continuing their programs – the white paper provides recommendations for similar organizations on incorporating re-entry programs within the recruitment practices and culture of the company, and how to leverage the re-entry program concept to address a wide variety of talent needs.  

“The Task Force not only addressed a need within our organization to expand the talent pool and increase gender diversity, but positioned General Motors as a more favorable employer overall,” said Adela Perez Vinot, program manager, global talent acquisition, General Motors. “Internal employee morale has boosted and outside candidates are keenly interested in our company as we are now being deliberately viewed as an organization that supports and accommodates working mothers.”

“I have never seen the passion, enthusiasm, and hard work that I have seen in these interns,” says Jennifer P. Howland of IBM, who has hired hundreds of individuals over the span of her career. She further adds, “Developing IBM's Tech Re-Entry program, while working with SWE and iRelaunch, has been the most rewarding part of my career.”

Following the success of the inaugural STEM Re-entry Task Force, SWE and iRelaunch have partnered with a new group of global engineering companies to offer more internships in 2017 for professionals returning to work from career breaks: Ford Motor Company, GE Power, Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic, Northrop Grumman Corporation, and Schneider Electric. 

Visit reentry.swe.org to download “An Intervention Strategy to Re-engage Women Engineers in the Workforce.” To learn more about the STEM Re-entry Task Force, included current cohorts and information on how you can start your re-entry process, visit reentry.swe.org.

About SWE
The Society of Women Engineers (SWE), founded in 1950, is the world’s largest advocate and catalyst for change for women in engineering and technology. SWE is a not-for-profit educational and service organization that empowers women to succeed and advance in the field of engineering and to be recognized for their life-changing contributions as engineers and leaders. SWE is the driving force that establishes engineering as a highly desirable career for women through an exciting array of training and development programs, networking opportunities, scholarships, and outreach and advocacy activities. With a global presence and over 37,000 members, SWE offers unique opportunities to network, provides professional development, shapes public policy, and provides recognition for the life-changing contributions and achievements of women engineers. As a champion of diversity, SWE empowers women to succeed and advance in their personal and professional lives.

SWE’s Corporate Partnership Council (CPC) is a network of SWE’s most prominent supporters and consists of 76 employers of engineers and technologists. CPC members share insight in industry trends, developments, and best practices in addition to providing financial support for SWE’s innovative programs, which focus on the engineering pipeline and the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women in this growing field. To support the advancement of women with its corporate partnerships, SWE also hosts the largest conference and career fair for women in engineering and technology.

For more information about the Society, please visit www.swe.org or call 312.596.5223.

About iRelaunch
As the pioneering company in the career reentry space, iRelaunch is the leader in career reentry programming of all kinds. iRelaunch works directly with over 30 Fortune 500 (or equivalent) companies in a range of roles, to develop, pilot, source for, present in and publicize their reentry internship programs, or similarly support their efforts to hire relaunchers directly into open roles without internships.

Founded in 2007, iRelaunch has been deeply engaged with its employer partners, a national network of alumni career services directors at leading colleges and universities, professional organizations across industry sectors, and a global community of nearly 30,000 people. iRelaunch's long-time connections with university alumni offices and professional organizations expand its reach to millions of relaunchers in the U.S. and beyond.

For more information about iRelaunch, please go to @iRelaunch on Twitter, visit www.iRelaunch.com, or email [email protected]. 

Carol Fishman Cohen, iRelaunch CEO and Co-Founder
Carol Fishman Cohen is the CEO and Co-founder of iRelaunch. Carol wrote the seminal Harvard Business Review article "The 40 Year Old Intern" on reentry internships and is a regular HBR contributor. Her TED talk 'How to get back to work after a career break"  has been viewed nearly 1.5 million times and translated into 28 languages. iRelaunch co-leads the STEM Reentry Task Force with the Society of Women Engineers and recently announced a similar initiative in the financial advisory sector with the Certified Financial Planner Board Center for Financial Planning. iRelaunch's flagship event, the iRelaunch Return-to-Work Conference has run 19 times since 2008 and over 5,000 people have attended. Nearly 30,000 people have attended over 250 iRelaunch programs and presentations of all kinds.  Carol is a graduate of Harvard Business School and her return to work at Bain Capital after 11 years out of the full time workforce is documented in a Harvard Business School case study. Carol was named a 2016 Next Avenue Influencer in Aging and was named to the 2017 Thinkers50 Radar list of the 30 management thinkers most likely to shape the future of how organizations are managed and led. She lives in Boston and is the mother of four Millennials.

Media Contact: Chris Martin, The David James Group, [email protected]; 630.670.2745