Returnships on the Radio

It was fantastic to have the opportunity, this week, to spread the word about the benefits and growth of returnships on BBC Radio 4's Today Programme. Rachel Tomkins, a project manager at Tideway, also discussed her experiences on the 2014 Tideway Returner Programme.

If you missed it, you can listen on iPlayer until Tuesday using this link: ‪bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07syyrf … … (it's a 5 minute clip, 2:49 into the programme).

Posted by Julianne

Thames Tideway Tunnel returnship success

Great news! All seven ‘returners’ have been offered positions following completion of the first engineering/construction sector returnship, the Tideway Returner Programme, on which we partnered with Thames Tideway Tunnel. 


The programme ran for 12 weeks from April-July and was the first UK returnship to run outside the financial sector. Participants were from diverse professional backgrounds and had taken career breaks of between 2 and 17 years. All have now been offered ongoing roles, in a variety of areas, from legal to finance to communications to engineering project management.

Participant feedback

Rachel Tomkins, who has taken up the role of Operations Manager after completing the returnship, said: “The past 12 weeks have provided me with an invaluable opportunity to prove myself in the workplace after a considerable career break. With Thames Tideway Tunnel and Women Returners, we’ve been offered great mentoring support and advice to successfully make the transition back to full time work. I am absolutely thrilled to have been offered a permanent role on such an exciting project and I hope many more women and companies can benefit from this scheme.”

Business Sponsor feedback

Julie Thornton, Head of HR at Thames Tideway Tunnel, said: “We have been delighted with our first cohort of returners; each has been a huge asset to our team over the past 12 weeks, demonstrated by the fact they have all landed positions on the project. I hope this encourages other engineering and construction companies to follow suit, and to realise they could be missing out on a hugely valuable pool of talent.”

Evidence of success

The programme success adds to the growing body of evidence that experienced professionals can quickly and effectively contribute to the workforce even after a very long career break. This is not news to us, but is vital information to challenge the stereotypes that still blind so many employers and recruiters to the talent they are missing by bypassing candidates with a CV gap.

Posted by Julianne

Returnship Q&A: The employer's perspective

As Thames Tideway Tunnel's new Returner Programme deadline approaches next Friday, Women Returners interviewed Tideway's Head of HR, Julie Thornton, to get her perspective on the business rationale for launching this innovative returnship, together with some information and advice for would-be applicants. 

WR: What is your motivation for setting up the Tideway Returner Programme? What is the appeal of returning professionals to your company?

JT: As a company, we are looking to increase the diversity of our workforce and this seemed an ideal way of doing so. Thames Tideway Tunnel is very active with early careers activities, graduates and apprenticeships, and the Returner Programme gives us the opportunity to fill an obvious gap – targeting and encouraging individuals who want to get back to a career after taking a break. We see returning professionals as a strong female talent pool which we are keen to access.  

WR: What can participants expect on the programme?

JT: They will experience a fulfilling role within the project, at an exciting time in our history as we move towards actually starting construction after more than 10 years of planning. They will also be fully supported by the management team to get them up to speed, have a dedicated mentor and receive expert coaching and support from Women Returners.

WR: Is your organisation expanding? Will there be ongoing job opportunities after the programme?

JT: In brief, yes. There are lots of vacancies currently on the project and there will continue to be over the coming months so this is an ideal time for people to join the project, get a feel for what we are about and apply for the roles they are interested in.

WR: In what other ways does Thames Tideway Tunnel support the careers of female employees?

JT: Our CEO, Andy Mitchell, is committed to achieving gender parity over the life of the project, and it is clear that to achieve this, we need to be a company that all people want to work for. We are focusing on getting the basics right, taking the values we promote, particularly flexible and inclusive working, through to practice. We also support employee-driven activities through our inclusivity forum, Encompass, which runs networking events and actively helps inform potential new policies or programmes.

WR: Do you see this programme as a one-off?

JT: No we are very much committed to making The Tideway Returner Programme a regular part of our overall resourcing and diversity plan. This is just the start of something we hope to see long into the future.

WR: How can people find out more and apply?

JT: Please visit http://www.thamestidewaytunnel.co.uk/about-us/tideway-returner-programme for more information and details on how to apply.

What advice would you give to prospective applicants?

A: If you are intrigued or interested, send in your CV because you have nothing to lose! Even if you aren't successful on the programme there may be other opportunities we can consider you for in the future.

Posted by Julianne