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    Career Returners

    Welcome Back

    Whether you've been away for six months or six years, we'll help you take your next step with accredited courses, evidence-based data, and no guesswork.

    Explore Career PathwaysRefresh Your Digital SkillsFind Flexible Opportunities

    Your Return Journey

    Three stages to take you from exploring options to landing your next role with confidence.

    01

    Get Your Bearings

    Start with the Digital Skills Check to see where you stand today. Explore pathways that fit your timeline, interests, and lifestyle.

    02

    Build & Refresh

    Upskill, rebuild confidence, and understand what's changed in the workplace. Choose from accredited routes or flexible self-paced options.

    03

    Apply & Land

    Access returnships, apprenticeships, and employer programmes. Use interview prep and networking resources to move forward.

    Your dashboard

    My Return Journey

    A private tracker of your progress. Nothing here is pre-filled: it only fills in as you actually take steps.
    What you need to know

    Before you dive in

    Returning to work, at your own pace

    There's no single "right" way back. Some people want a structured full-time route, others want something flexible around caring responsibilities. Start with the Digital Skills Check below to see where you stand today, not where you think you should be.

    Understanding today's workplace

    Hybrid working, Teams and Slack, and AI copilots in everyday tools mean the workplace has likely changed since you were last in it. The Refresh Your Skills hub is built specifically to close that gap quickly, not to overwhelm you.

    Setting a goal you can actually reach

    "Get a job in tech" is hard to plan around. "Complete a Level 3 IT Support apprenticeship in 12 months" isn't. Your Return Journey tracker below turns your Digital Skills Check result into one clear current goal.

    Explore the section

    Your Resources, By Stage

    01Get Your Bearings

    Digital Skills Check

    Two minutes to get your baseline. No judgment, just an honest starting point tailored to your experience.

    Explore

    Return to Tech Pathways

    Eight curated pathways with salary data and accredited programmes, based on the TechSkills Career Families.

    Explore

    Career Change & Flexible Working

    Explore transferable skills, salary expectations, and remote, hybrid or portfolio careers.

    Explore

    02Build & Refresh

    Refresh Your Skills

    From Microsoft 365 to Python: get up to speed with how workplaces actually run today.

    Explore

    Confidence Hub

    Imposter syndrome, networking, interviews and rebuilding professional confidence.

    Explore

    Funding & Support

    Skills Bootcamps, adult education, bursaries and live UK government updates.

    Explore

    Are you an employer?

    Build or list a returner programme

    The business case, a practical framework, and training providers who can help.

    Journeys and insight

    Illustrative example journeys and the latest returner-relevant articles from our Insights Hub.

    Read Success Stories

    Common Questions

    I don't have a tech background at all. Is this really for me?
    Yes. Every pathway on this page is built around career-changer and returner routes, not computer science degrees. Many of the skills that matter most, such as organisation, communication, problem-solving and attention to detail, you've likely already built in a different career.
    Do you have live job listings?
    No, we don't run a jobs board. Instead, we point you to accredited courses, apprenticeships and employer programmes so you arrive at the job market genuinely ready rather than guessing what to apply for.
    How long does it typically take to return to work through one of these pathways?
    It depends on the pathway and your starting point. Timelines range from a few months of focused upskilling to a 12-18 month accredited apprenticeship. Each pathway page shows learning-time context alongside salary data (based on ONS ASHE occupational earnings data) so you can judge this for your own situation.
    What if I'm not confident with computers at all yet?
    Start with the Digital Skills Check. It's designed to meet you wherever you're starting from, including "not confident yet." IT Support and similar entry pathways are specifically well-suited to building confidence from the ground up.
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    Ready to take the first step?

    The Digital Skills Check takes two minutes and gives you an honest starting point.

    Start the Digital Skills Check