By Rochna Pant
A Year in Review: Defining Moments in 2023
As we reflect on the milestone moments of 2023, we invite you to join us in celebrating our triumphs and exploring the trends that shaped our journey. Dive into our end-of-year blog for an insightful look back at the highlights of 2023 – we hope you find it as enjoyable to read as we did to reminisce and write!
Milestone #1
2023 iRelaunch Virtual Employer Summit
2023 began with the Employer Summit- the only event dedicated to covering the innovations, best practices, and important industry trends in employer career reentry programming.
The theme of the March 2023 Virtual Employer Summit was “Career Reentry Programs in a Changing Economy,” which couldn’t be more relevant.
We have a great track record of spotting trends before others even start to recognize them. Some of the trends we've predicted are:
- 📈 The emergence of returnships (2012)
- 📈 Men relaunching (2021)
- 📈 Public sector driving the next wave of career reentry programming (2022)
Read the 2023 Summit recap here and stay tuned for more details about our 2024 Virtual Employer Summit!
Milestone #2
2023 Return to Work Conferences
Our two 2023 virtual conferences connected nearly 2500+ relaunchers with 30 visionary organizations recruiting for their career reentry programs and job opportunities.
Aggregated data from the Conference attendees revealed that:
- 86% of our Conference audience identifies as female
- 52% of our attendees have more than 10 years of experience
- 98% have a Bachelor's degree and 58% have at least one advanced degree
Milestone #3
STEM Reentry Task Force
It was a record-breaking year for the STEM Reentry Task Force, our powerful alliance with the Society of Women Engineers, geared towards technical and engineering professional women who are seeking to resume their careers.
- This is the first year we have had eight employers in the Task Force employer cohort: ADM, Bechtel, GE Aerospace, Kellanova, Micron, Mondelēz, NetApp, and SLB.
- Over 1,000 returning professionals have participated in career reentry programs launched by STEM Reentry Task Force member employers since its inception in 2015.
Milestone #4
Strategic Partnerships
We continued to strengthen our partnerships with our community partners.
- Together with Mocha Moms, Inc., we produced Part 2 of our series "The Black Relaunchers' Perspective" featuring successful relaunchers from Bank of America, AIG, and Iron Bow Technologies as well as executives from PepsiCo and SAP.
- With PowerToFly, as part of the Diversity Reboot Series, we discussed Now is the Time to Propose a Career Reentry Program and Returnships during economic uncertainty
- With HRCI, we delved deeper into how military spouses can return to a rewarding career in human resources.
Along with Leanln.Org, we launched “I’ve Returned” Circles. These circles provide a space for women who have re-entered the workforce after a career break to come together in small groups to give and receive peer-to-peer mentorship and build new skills together.
Earlier this year, iRelaunch was asked to recommend a relauncher for a Ready to Work docuseries. Several months later, we are excited to see the finished result! Watch an excerpt from Episode 4 where Carol Fishman Cohen is featured alongside relauncher Shanna Sukhnanan.
Milestone #5
Around the Globe, iRelaunch is Leading the Way on Career Reentry Programs
Hundreds of relaunchers joined in as these leading advocates for reintegrating professional talent discussed international career reentry programs. We delved into the advantages of recruiting professionals reentering the workforce after career breaks, spotlighting the pivotal successes of their initiatives. Moreover, we explored the profound influence of these programs on bolstering global diversity objectives across India, the UK, and Europe.
Carol with Lynda Gratton, co-author of "The 100-year Life" at the Thinkers50 Awards Gala.
iRelaunch CEO and Co-Founder, Carol Fishman Cohen, was shortlisted for the Thinkers50 Ideas Into Practice Award this year. The Thinkers50 Awards recognize trailblazing and impactful minds shaping the business and management sphere. This accolade solidifies Carol's unwavering commitment and pioneering concepts within the realm of career reentry. Carol was previously honored at Thinkers50 in 2017 when she was named to their 2017 Radar List and shortlisted for the Thinkers50 Talent Award.
Carol Fishman Cohen at the Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC), Washington DC
The Democratic Women's Caucus (DWC) is composed of all the Democratic women in the House of Representatives. The DWC held a special session to take a closer look at returnships. Carol was invited to speak as part of a panel of experts on the history and impact of returnships and the possibility of using them in federal government hiring. Five powerful Congresswomen attended and engaged in a lively conversation: Jennifer Wexton (D-VA) whose office organized the session, Lois Frankel (D-FL) who chairs the DWC, Lucy McBath (D-GA), Kathy Manning (D-NC), and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI). We are excited about the interest in returnships at the federal level and consider it a milestone to be having these discussions.
Milestone #6
In the Media
Consistent with our role as industry pioneers, iRelaunch continues to drive and influence the direction and expansion of career reentry programs and programming.
- iRelaunch's work was highlighted in an insightful article featuring Nobel Prize economics winner Claudia Goldin's research on fatherhood premium and motherhood penalty.
- Carol Fishman Cohen's latest Harvard Business Review article- Tips for Navigating a 60-Year Career- discussed how our youngest professionals can navigate a 60-year career since their life expectancy is now projected to be 100 years. One of the pro tips in the article is to build extended breaks into the 60-year career to avoid burnout and allow for periodic reflection on changing interests and skills.
- Our video series on Instagram about strategies to return to work after a career break was very popular. Two that stand out are- the Power of Community while navigating a career break and five reasons why Career Breaks are Not Going Away!
- Tracking the shoutouts on social media from relaunchers sharing their conversions and success stories was an absolute delight.
Huge thanks to YOU, our relaunchers, employers, and community partners. We are more dedicated than ever to normalizing career breaks and enabling as many successful relaunches as possible, benefiting returning professionals and the employers hiring them. Everyone wins! That's why we love our work and our mission.
With gratitude,
Don't relaunch alone!
Join our growing relauncher communities on Facebook and LinkedIn. For more great guidance on your relaunch and updates on when return to work programs are accepting applications, events for relaunchers and more, be sure to sign up for our Return to Work Report and follow us on social media to stay informed!
