Streaming music had replaced MP3s, which had replaced CDs. Even the terminology used to describe the work she'd done had changed. That left her resume blatantly out-of-date, and employers noticed. In June, Groothuis began to apply for jobs—about 50 per week for three months. Fast forward six months and Groothuis is a marketing analyst at Return Path, a data provider. What happened in between her futile job search and now?

The New York-based company has hosted two returnship cohorts since last January, and it helped five other companies introduce their own programs in October. PayPal onboarded nine software engineers to returnships earlier this year. What started as an internal Return Path initiative to increase the representation of women, particularly in technical roles, had grown so successful that the company figured it could launch the program as a standalone operation.

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The program answers a vast need, particularly among women looking to return to the workforce. Nearly three-fourths of women who downshifted their careers attributed the change to childcare issues.

Of the women who identified as homemakers and had not searched for a job in the last year, nearly three-quarters said they would consider returning to the workforce if a job allowed for flexible hours or let them work from home.

Companies can increase female representation in the office by convincing women to stay in the workforce or by making it easier for them to return. Path Forward focuses on the latter.

The internships are to be week, paid positions available to individuals—both men and women—who have been out of the professional workforce for at least two years to care for children, a spouse, or a parent. The hope is that employers will hire interns as full-time workers at the end of the temporary stint. For the employer, the program is intended to serve as an introduction to an experienced and underutilized talent pool. In fact, Goldman Sachs trademarked the term in Morgan, Morgan Stanley, and Credit Suisse have also offered such programs.

Path Forward could bring the model beyond white collar workplaces, namely to tech firms, which tend to tout their progressive work environments and, more often than not, desperately need an infusion of female talent.

Graham says she plans to promote Ready Talk's program through PTA networks and parent Facebook groups. For a program like Path Forward to be effective, it has to bring individuals back into the workforce in roles that value their experience, instead of sidelining them to B-list jobs, says Laura Sherbin, director of research at the Center for Talent Innovation.

11 Tips For Stay-At-Home Moms Who Want To Go Back To Work – ModernMom

Women sacrifice their careers to serve as caregivers and then they have a long, uphill struggle to return. Officials Say Russian Hackers Targeted 21 States During the Presidential Election.

Reddit Reddit Co-Founder Alexis Ohanian Is Using His Own Site for Parenting Tips. Nike Why Nike May Start Selling Directly on Amazon. Tami Forman is the executive director of Path Forward.

Photograph by Jenni Lillie. Courtesy of Path Forward. This Nonprofit Wants To Put Stay-At-Home Moms Back to Work.

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