Corporations adopt returnships to assist professionals re-entering the workforce

Research from the coaching organization Career Returners indicates that 99 percent of professionals returning to work after a career break find the process challenging. Despite 80 percent of these individuals upskilling before reapplying, many face significant hurdles, with a quarter of those surveyed applying for more than 100 roles.

In response, many companies are implementing returnships, which are structured programs designed to facilitate reentry. JPMorgan Chase operates ReEntry, a 15-week paid fellowship for professionals with gaps of two years or more, providing mentorship and potential permanent roles. The program currently operates in 35 locations.

Other organizations and nonprofits are also active in this space. Zoox, an Amazon-owned company, utilized a 16-week returnship through the nonprofit Path Forward to hire technical staff. Path Forward has partnered with over 100 companies, including Apple, Netflix, PayPal, Walmart, and Pepsi. Additionally, the career-reentry platform iRelaunch, which serves a community of over 125,000 returners, was recently acquired by the staffing firm Akraya.