In the UK, nine out of ten potential returners are women. Studies have shown that time out of work and fewer years of full-time work are two of the reasons women struggle to progress at work, thus contributing to the continuing disparity in male and female pay packets.

The five grant recipients will support parents and carers back into the workplace through training, refreshing skills and facilitating work placements. They will also work directly with 79 employers from a range of sectors including law, finance, tech, retail, communications, advertising and marketing.

Returners are defined as people with existing work experience who have taken an extended career break for caring or other reasons and who are either economically inactive or now working in lower paid, temporary or part-time work or in home businesses or freelance roles.

Victoria Atkins, minister for women, said: ‘For too long, taking time out of work to care for others has cut short careers and brilliant, talented women are unable to re-enter industries which will not support them to return. This is a huge loss not only to those individuals, but to our economy and businesses all over the country.’

McKinsey research found that if women stay in the labour market, work in more productive sectors and work longer hours, there is the potential for £150bn to be added to the annual GDP in 2025.

Under this initiative Changing Live a national charity that provides specialist support to vulnerable people and families is to receive £95,000.

Women Returners is given £110,000 to support 100 returners through workshops and training in the legal sector in the north west and Leeds, while St Helens Chamber will use £187,000 to support businesses to engage 120 returners through career coaching using a pop-up classroom.

Creative Equals has received £65,000 in funding to run workshops for 30 returners in the creative industries and support them into roles with 15 employers that will have their recruitment and support practices reformed.

Back2businessship, which supports returners back to work in the marketing, PR and communications sectors has been granted £32,000 to work with 25 employers in the Thames Valley, including SMEs, to target job opportunities for 40 returners.

Liz Nottingham, founder of Back2businessship, said: ‘We are thrilled that the funding from the government equalities office (GEO), which will be match-funded by local corporate employers, including Oracle, will help us take our programme for marketing and comms returners to Reading and the M3/M4 corridor with a focus on the technology, fintech, telecommunications and financial services sectors.’

A further £1m of funding is set to be awarded later in the year.

Report by Pat Sweet