What is the returnership programme?

Following the government's announcement of a returnerships programme as part of the Spring 2023 Budget to help minimise the current skills shortage, guidance aimed at employers on helping individuals return to work has been published.

Employer guidance: helping people return to work.

The guidance focuses on returner programmes involving paid work, on a temporary or permanent basis, that give a supported route back to permanent employment. These programmes can be for individuals or groups of returners, who are returning from time out of work for caring responsibilities, or for health, relocation or any other reasons following at least a year out of work.

The guidance addresses and shares best practice in the following areas:

• Why returners should be supported and the benefits of a returners programme for organisations and individuals.

• Who returners may be.

• How to design and set up a returner programme, dependent on an organisation's objectives.

• Adapting recruitment processes for returners.

• Effectively engaging, onboarding and retaining returners.

To discuss further how to consider implementing a returner programme and how to support individuals returning to the workplace, don't hesitate to contact the Employment team.