Chevron’s Returnship program draws experienced professionals back into energy
Knowing that life circumstances sometimes cause people to exit the workforce for a time, Chevron is going out of its way to support experienced professionals with career gaps through its new Welcome Back Returnship Program.
“‘Returnships’ are a fairly new concept, and Chevron is among the first companies in the energy industry to implement such a program,” Twanna Hardy, manager for Chevron’s Welcome Back Returnship Program, told American Gas. “The practical skills that people gain during their leaves of absence bring a beneficial perspective to Chevron.”
Chevron leaders wholeheartedly support the program and are excited about the opportunity to provide career support and development guidance to the “returners” while also fulfilling business needs, Hardy said.
“Ultimately, these returnships help bridge gaps in Chevron’s talent pipeline to fill full-time experienced-hire roles with qualified and motivated candidates,” she said.
The program hires individuals reentering the workforce after a career hiatus for reasons such as caring for family, military service, volunteering, serving in a political office and continuing their education.
The majority of professionals who fit the returnship mold are women, Hardy noted. Globally, women represent 31 percent of Chevron’s workforce—a figure that has increased over time and one that Chevron is working to increase further, she said. The utility’s research shows that up to 216,000 women in the United States are on work hiatus at any given time, leaving a gap in the country’s workforce.
Applicants to the Welcome Back Returnship Program must be U.S.-based, meet the minimum qualifications of the job and have a career gap of two or more years to be considered. In time, Chevron plans to expand the program worldwide, Hardy said.
The inaugural group of eight returners began this fall and are undergoing a 10-week “soft landing” into the company with a mentor and a “buddy,” support groups and compressed work-week options, Hardy said.
“Key aspects of the program experience will be goal setting, integrated learning and formal training,” she said. “At the end of the 10 weeks, returners who successfully demonstrate their abilities to fulfill position requirements may be offered full-time employment.”