Member Article

Mum's the word as Ann starts new career path

Mum could be the word that helps companies across Coventry and Warwickshire ease the skills shortage in the region.

Firms across the area cite a lack of people with the right skills to fill their posts as one of the key barriers to growing their business.

It’s a topic that has been raised with the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, which led to the organisation launching a Skills & Employability Group through its branch network.

And, when faced with its own recruitment crisis, the Chamber turned to Warwickshire-based Career-Mums Partnership and has found the perfect person in Ann Pendlebury to fill the vacant role.

Ann has joined the Chamber as a new membership administrator and credit control officer and can work flexibly around her six-year-old daughter, Sofya, and other business commitments she has outside of work.

Ann said: “Before getting this job, I felt I should be apologetic about doing the school run or whatever it was that meant I couldn’t do ‘regular’ office hours.

“But Career-Mums and the Chamber have taken that feeling away as I can bring my skills and experience to do the job in times that suit everyone. It’s about everyone being flexible.

“Then, because there is that give and take, you end up being willing to do extra for the business as they are being understanding with you. It works both ways. It’s about a change in attitudes and being able to meet in the middle.”

The Chamber approached Career-Mums when traditional means of advertising a post were unsuccessful.

Matthew Hammersley, of the Chamber, said: “We advertised for a credit controller originally and Career-Mums helped us to change the wording of that to help attract additional interest.

“Further to that, they helped us to think more broadly about the skills we needed for the position and the working hours, rather than just saying it was a nine to five.

“A great deal of the Chamber’s work is supporting members with their issues so it was great to have a member help us in this way. Ann has settled in really well and we would definitely urge members to look at returning mums as a potential solution to the skills issue.”

Sally Dhillon and Nishi Mehta run the Career-Mums Partnership, which also offers support in addressing the gender gap, developing women leaders and supporting and retaining new parents in the workplace.

Sally said: “We spotted a gap in the market for businesses and also an opportunity to support individuals who had talent that they wanted to put to good use.

“There’s a big pool of talent that doesn’t necessarily fit into the nine-to-five routine yet have a huge amount to offer. Ann was very much in that category and we are delighted to have linked her with the Chamber and that it has worked out so well for everyone.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Matt Joyce .