Untapped Potential's Candace Freedenberg on Incorporating Career Breaks and Returnships Into Your Career Journey Plan

0:00-00:50 - Introduction and Welcome Remarks

The host welcomes the guest speaker, Candace Freedenberg, to the Women Of Water Virtual Summit and provides an overview of the event's objectives and agenda.

0:50 - 7:59 - Background of Candace Freedenberg

Candace has a background in engineering, particularly in optical engineering, lasers, and physics. She worked for IBM and Eastman Kodak, delivering new technologies such as camera and phone technologies and digitizing imagery for e-commerce systems during the dot-com boom. She moved with her husband's career and opted out of her career after having children. During this time, she realized that there was a loss of human capital among women who had opted out and sought to find a solution to get their brain power back to Corporate America. She proposed mid-career internships as an entry point for this demographic to balance work and family.

7:59-14:12  Reducing gender disparities in the workplace

The speaker discusses their organization's efforts to reduce gender disparities in the workplace. They consult with companies on how to write job descriptions that are more inclusive, promote work-life success, and provide support for women who have taken time off to care for children. They also offer skill development courses, professional development support, and networking opportunities. Their organization hosts events twice a year where clients can meet their talent and learn about mid-career internship programs. The speaker emphasizes the need for flexibility and the value that experienced women can bring to a company. They invite interested individuals to attend their free weekly info sessions and events.

14:12-21:20 - Return to Work Week Program

The speaker discusses their Return to Work Week program, which focuses on identifying candidate skill sets and working with clients to craft roles that meet those needs. They prioritize creating a candidate-led approach while also working with businesses that have been loyal to them for a while. The program also emphasizes working with candidates on their go-to-market strategies and educating them on in-demand skills, such as agile and scrum project management. The speaker highlights the importance of knowing industry jargon and terminology to relate one's experience and how it is similar or different. They also discuss the challenges of retraining and upskilling, especially for women and those with career gaps.

21:20-28:30 On Tap Potential Program

On Tap Potential is a program that aims to help women who have taken a break from their careers to take care of their families return to the workforce. The program's approach involves providing training, networking opportunities, and internships or "returnships" to help women gain the skills, contacts, and confidence they need to re-enter the workforce. On Tap Potential's goal is to solve the "catch 22" problem of women needing a job to afford daycare but not being able to find a job because they don't have daycare. The program also aims to provide a level playing field for women who have taken a career break and help them secure roles that match their skills and experience.

28:30-32:39 Advocating for more opportunities for women

The speaker is advocating for more opportunities for women who have taken a career break, highlighting their valuable skills and experience gained through caregiving and household management. They suggest that companies should focus on retaining and promoting these women, rather than constantly hiring and training new employees. The speaker also mentions their organization, Watermark, which aims to help women re-enter the workforce.

32:39- 38:25 Keynotes of Candace - Environmental sustainability and the need for gender equity in caregiving to enable women

In a conversation, the speaker talks about her involvement in promoting environmental sustainability in schools and how it led her to discover an environmental technology entity that helps public and private schools reduce energy costs. She also discusses the importance of teaching young generations about environmental sustainability and the need for gender equity in caregiving to enable women to compete for senior roles in the workplace. The speaker also mentions a program called Untap Potential that focuses on helping women return to work and advancing gender equity in the workplace.

38:25-44:11 Closing Remarks and Next Steps

In conclusion, Candace shared her experiences of facing age and gender bias while trying to get a job in the water resources industry after an 18-year hiatus. She highlighted the importance of companies embracing diversity and shared that returnship programs can be a valuable resource for women looking to re-enter the workforce. The interviewer also shared information about her organization's community of support, skill-building opportunities, and networking events, which can benefit women who are trying to re-enter the workforce.