Read this article about people returning to work. Then complete the writing exercise below.
How does a mom who has been staying at home become an employee of a tech company that could be worth more than $1 billion?
For Ellein Cheng, mom to a 5- and a 2 -year-old, the answer involved a “returnship.”
Returnships are internships that target men and women who have not been working, either because they have been raising children or caregiving. These returnships give them a chance to retrain in a new field.
In Cheng’s case, the former math teacher and tutor took a returnship at AppNexus, an online advertising company.
For companies, returnships are an opportunity to find more mature and professionally diverse talent pools. For participants who may be out of the workforce, it’s a chance to refresh their networks, learn new skills and try on new roles.
For both parties, it’s a low-risk, low-commitment arrangement. Companies can achieve their goals to make the employee ranks more diverse. Job seekers can potentially find full-time work.
Cheng’s returnship was set up by Path Forward, a New York-based nonprofit that works with tech companies to organize 16-week, paid assignments for people who have been away from the labor market for two or more years because of caregiving.
Women in particular have been struggling to explain the gap in their CVs when they are re-entering the workforce. Employment is harder to find.
“They often get discouraging feedback from companies and management. They believe that they’ll never be hired,” said Tami Forman, the executive director of Path Forward. The organization says it gets results — 40 out of the 50 women who have completed the program were offered full-time employment at the companies where they interned.
Path Forward joins with tech companies that range in size from 30-person startups to big organizations such as PayPal, which has more than 10,000 employees.
Adapted from “For Moms Heading Back to Work, ‘Returnships’ Offer a Path Forward” published by VOA News on August 19, 2017 by Trina Trinh.
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True or false:
A returnship is for people who recently graduated from college.
True or false:
Mothers sometimes have difficulty finding jobs after raising children.
True or false:
Big and small companies give returnships.
True or false:
Only mothers can have returnships.
True or false:
Returnships are successful for employees and employers.
Choose the correct option to complete the sentence:
While some people find jobs easily, others ________ to get them.
Choose the correct option to complete the sentence:
After tens years in one ________ like sales or IT, some people realize they don’t like it.
Choose the correct option to complete the sentence:
A good option to try a new type of work is with a short ________ where you learn about the job.
Choose the correct option to complete the sentence:
Many people in the ________ are trained in customer service, but need more management skills..
Choose the correct option to complete the sentence:
You can return to school or look for an entry-level position if you want to ________.