Take 2

Challenge

In the war for talent, we must remain open to explore and draw from unexpected talent pools. One such pool is experienced female STEM talent-particularly women who have taken extended leaves of absence from employment to care for children, aging/disabled parents or other personal needs and are now ready, but uncertain, how to successfully return to the workforce.

Actions

Take 2 is a 12-week "STEM re-entry" internship program for women with technical backgrounds in vehicle engineering, manufacturing engineering, or manufacturing operations who arc interested in returning to the workforce after a 2+ year career break. Interns receive training, professional development, and the opportunity to network with other technical leaders to gain exposure to and understanding of GM's structure and functional areas. The career break for interns ranges from 4 to 24 years. GM launched its first program April 2016.

Outcomes

At the January program announcement, more than 400 applications were received for the 10 Manufacturing and Engineering pilot slots. Nine offers were made and accepted following the first pilot. A second class launched Fall 2016 with more than 1000 applications for the 23 slots. Eighteen of 19 offers were accepted. The third class, offered Spring 2017, expanded to internships in Sales and Finance. More than 2600 applications were received. Seventy interviews were held and 34 career re-launchers were selected. Twenty-seven offers were made with 100% acceptance. For the fourth cohort, more than 3600 applicants applied for the 17 intern spots that began Fall 2017.

Contact

Ken Barrett

Quote

At GM, we're creating a culture, an energy and an attitude that says anything is possible, especially when we ensure that every employee has a chance to contribute to his or her full potential. That is why we will continue to drive diversity forward.

Mary Barra
General Motors, Chairman and CEO
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