A troubling paradox is unfolding across the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics sectors, where persistent talent shortages are met with an increasingly exclusionary attitude toward highly skilled professionals attempting to re-enter the workforce after a career break. New research paints a stark picture of this reality, revealing that the path back to a STEM career is more fraught with difficulty than ever before. The 2025 STEM Returners Index, a comprehensive survey of over 1,000 professionals, found that a staggering three-quarters of respondents described their journey back to work as “difficult” or “very difficult.” This marks a significant deterioration from just a few years ago when 65% reported similar challenges in 2022. This growing chasm between the industry’s stated need for talent and its actual hiring practices suggests a deep-seated, systemic issue that is actively pushing experienced individuals away at the very moment they are needed most.
A Landscape of Deepening Prejudice
The core of the problem lies in pervasive, and apparently worsening, biases embedded within recruitment systems that penalize candidates for gaps in their employment history. According to the Index, the most common hurdle is a bias against a perceived lack of recent experience, an issue reported by more than half (53%) of all surveyed professionals. This figure, up slightly from the previous year, indicates a stubborn refusal by many companies to look beyond a linear career path. Compounding this issue is a sharp rise in ageism, with 41% of participants reporting that they had experienced age-related discrimination during their job search, a substantial jump from 36% in the 2024 survey. Furthermore, gender bias remains a persistent and formidable barrier, disproportionately affecting women. The survey highlighted that 28% of female respondents encountered gender-based prejudice, an increase from 26% the prior year, while only a mere 4% of their male counterparts reported a similar experience, underscoring a significant and unresolved inequity in the field.
The cumulative effect of navigating this biased landscape inflicts a significant psychological toll on individuals who are otherwise qualified and eager to contribute their skills. The relentless cycle of applications and rejections, often with no constructive feedback, has a profoundly demoralizing impact. A significant majority—two-thirds of the professionals surveyed (65%)—stated that the process had severely damaged their self-confidence, creating a crisis of morale that extends far beyond the job search itself. The systemic failures are so profound that they are compelling many to abandon their ambitions within the industry entirely. An overwhelming 85% of respondents admitted that the arduous and often disheartening process had made them seriously question whether they should continue pursuing a career in STEM. This staggering statistic signals a critical risk of a preventable talent drain, where the industry is not only failing to attract new talent but is also actively alienating its own experienced professionals.
The Human Story Behind the Statistics
An examination of the reasons behind career breaks reveals that they are often driven by necessity rather than choice, a reality that recruitment processes frequently fail to acknowledge. The data shows a notable disparity between the experiences of men and women. For female professionals, caregiving responsibilities remain the predominant factor influencing their decision to step away from work. Over half of the female respondents (54%) cited childcare as the primary reason for their break, an increase from 51% in 2024. In stark contrast, only 9% of men took a career break for the same reason, highlighting how societal expectations around caregiving continue to disproportionately impact women’s careers. For men, career breaks were more commonly the result of involuntary or work-related pressures. Redundancy was the most cited cause for men, rising from 25% to 28% in 2025. Overall, the survey found that only 17% of respondents took a career break entirely of their own volition, dismantling the common misconception that these periods are simply extended voluntary leaves from the workforce.
These statistics are brought to life through the experiences of individuals like Anna Shkurba, an engineer whose story encapsulates the formidable struggle many returners face. After building a successful career, she transitioned to part-time work to care for her children, a situation that was suddenly upended by the conflict in Ukraine, forcing her to relocate to the UK alone with her two young children. Despite possessing valuable qualifications and proactively taking courses on CV writing, she found herself trapped in a demoralizing loop of automated rejections after applying for hundreds of roles. Her breakthrough only came when she discovered the STEM Returners Programme and was accepted for a placement with the company Jacobs. There, she encountered a supportive and welcoming interview process that stood in stark contrast to her previous experiences. This opportunity led to a 12-week paid placement that ultimately transitioned into a successful and permanent return to her engineering career, demonstrating the profound impact of a more human-centered approach.
Forging a More Inclusive Path Forward
The success story of Anna Shkurba is not an isolated incident but a testament to a structured, solution-oriented model that effectively bridges the gap between talented professionals and forward-thinking employers. The STEM Returners program, launched in 2017, has already facilitated the return of nearly 700 professionals by partnering with major organizations such as National Grid, BAE Systems, and EDF. The initiative’s core offering is a paid, 12-week placement that goes beyond a simple work trial. It provides a comprehensive support system, including dedicated mentoring and career coaching, designed to rebuild confidence and reintegrate individuals smoothly back into the professional environment. With a high potential for a permanent position at the conclusion of the placement, the program serves as a proven and effective alternative to conventional recruitment channels that often filter out these highly capable candidates based on outdated and biased criteria.
The ongoing challenges faced by returners highlighted a frustrating paradox within the industry, where leaders frequently lamented skills gaps while their own recruitment practices systematically overlooked a vast and available pool of experienced talent. Natalie Desty, Director of STEM Returners, noted that the momentum toward more inclusive hiring had stalled, leaving countless professionals marginalized. The reality of modern working life is that career breaks for reasons like childcare, elder care, or health issues are normal and increasingly common. To address the talent crisis authentically, a fundamental reform of recruitment was necessary. Industry leaders were called upon to move beyond rhetoric and actively dismantle the unconscious biases that penalize returners. This required a shift in mindset, one that viewed career breaks not as a deficit but as a part of a diverse and valuable professional journey.
