Business
Path to Workforce Re-Entry Creates a 'Win-Win-Win'
Enbridge pilot program helps enable gradual return to work following a prolonged career pause ...
About this update from Enbridge Inc.
Path to Workforce Re-Entry Creates a 'Win-Win-Win'Enbridge pilot program helps enable gradual return to work following a prolonged career pauseNORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 30, 2024 / Re-entering the workforce after an extended absence can often be difficult. The longer you're out, the more challenging it can be to get back in."It was just after COVID and I was applying for jobs in the petroleum quality field, where I had come from," says Darcey Kateryniuk, a senior analyst in Enbridge's Liquids Pipelines group, who re-entered the workforce after spending 10 years raising three children."I kept getting interviews, but not offers. No one said it, but it always felt that the barrier was that I hadn't worked in the industry for a long time. It felt like I was getting passed over for those with more recent experience."Kateryniuk and Eva Tam are two of four women who found a way back into the workforce, thanks to a career re-entry pilot program in Enbridge's Liquids Pipelines group. The program, which kicked off in 2023 to support diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts, is designed as a part-time, temporary opportunity to enable a gradual return to a working environment following a prolonged career pause."What's fantastic about this program is that there is no downside. From a business perspective, Enbridge gets to tap into an overlooked demographic of talented professionals. People leaders get time to evaluate new employees. Teams get a new colleague who is willing and able to help support work," says Stephanie Raill, a DEI projects lead with Enbridge."And for candidates, this structured return process"-part-time for a minimum of nine months-"gives them time to get back into a routine, helps build their confidence and, most importantly, gives them recent work experience that they can now put on their resume. It's a win-win-win."Tam, a senior analyst in accounting with Enbridge, had stepped away to help raise two sons."Coming back to work was like finding myself and having a piece of my own life back," she says. "It's powerful and self-affirming. I know I'm a big influence in my kids' lives, but it was important to remember that I can still contribute to society as well."This Enbridge career re-entry pilot program, notes Raill, boosts diversity in thinking and perspective, while also helping to eliminate the stigma often associated with career brea...