The Minister for Women, Victoria Atkins, has announced funding grants through the £1.5m Returners Fund - which was set up with the intention of helping people get back into work after having taken career breaks. Five organisations have been granted a total of almost £500,000 to help in this respect.

Reviews have shown that those who take lengthy career breaks – and most are women – find it difficult to make progress on their return to work and this is one cause of the gender pay gap.

The five recipients of the grant will sustain those returning into the workplace through refresher training and updating of their skills and will also work directly with 79 employers from a range businesses including communications; technology; law; finance; retail and advertising/marketing.

Victoria Atkins said:

“For too long, taking time out of work to care for others has cut short careers and brilliant, talented women are unable to re-enter industries which will not support them to return. This is a huge loss, not only to those individuals, but to our economy and businesses all over the country.”   She added:

“We are investing in returners to work – giving them the opportunity to refresh and grow their skills and encouraging employers to change their outdated recruitment processes. By taking action on this issue we can grow the economy and achieve true equality in our workplaces.”

The organisations that have been granted money are:

• £95,000 for national charity, Changing Lives
• £110,000 for social consultancy, Women Returners
• £187,000 for chamber of commerce, St Helens Chamber
• £65,000 for creative industries organisation, Creative Equals
• £32,000 for Back2businessship, which is being delivered by f1 Recruitment.

One of the organisations to receive funding – Changing Lives – is a national charity who, with their grant, has said that they will assist 80 persons returning to work in the North East.  Their CEO, Stephen Bell said:

“We are delighted to have been successful in securing funding from the Returner’s Fund. Here at Changing Lives we are dedicated to supporting those with multiple and complex needs to overcome the barriers they face. This fund will allow us to develop our Employment Services to empower women to move back into employment and fulfill their potential.”

The government guaranteed £1.5 million to get people with caring responsibilities back into work and a further £1,010,950 funding will be awarded this autumn.  This support will assist carers from across the country to return to work; boost the economy and help to tackle the gender pay gap.

The November 2017 budget announcement of a £5m pledge to support persons returning to work followed recommendations made by the Women and Work All Parliamentary Group - which called on large businesses to provide paid return-to-work programmes for women.

Since last April, businesses with 250 or more employees have been required to publish details of their gender pay gap on an annual basis.