BP Returnship Program Gets a Reboot

CHICAGO — Following a successful pilot program in 2017, BP and The Mom Project are bringing back The BP Returnship Program, which supports the professional development and re-engagement of both women and men who previously stepped out of the workforce for family or personal reasons and are ready to return to work.

The returning program will expand both its reach and program offerings, according to BP.

BP's leadership conducted an in-depth examination of the inaugural program and incorporated key learnings and programmatic changes into the next cycle of The BP Returnship Program in order to provide an even more impactful and supportive experience for participants, the company said. Such changes include:

• Extending the program from a six-month commitment to nine months, and
• Increasing the participants to nine women and men selected from the program's network of professional accomplished talent pool.

The program's employment opportunities were previously limited to BP's corporate offices in Chicago but are now expanding to multiple disciplines located across the country, including opportunities in the Whiting refinery; U.S. pipelines and logistics; refining technology and engineering; marketing; and sales and finance, with participants based in Chicago; Whiting and Naperville, Ill.; and La Palma, Calif.

"We found great success partnering with The Mom Project for our first contingent in The BP Returnship Program. The launch program served as a basis for our company to find new and unique talent, with our goal to increase diverse thought and talent among our workforce," said Brian Zellner, human resources manager for BP. "With the second team, we hope to expand the program further within BP and continue to serve as a leader in diversity and inclusion in the oil/gas industry."

Participating professionals will also have networking and mentorship opportunity to further enhance their experience throughout the program. It is a compensated, full-time commitment that offers potential opportunities for full-time roles at BP at its conclusion.

"The success of programs such as The BP Returnship Program let us know that today's working professional is in need of effective tools to support the transition back into the workplace," said Allison Robinson, founder and CEO of The Mom Project. "With the national expansion of the Women's Work Initiative, our goal is to work with more progressive corporations like BP that see the value in supporting the career development of women to encourage substantial change and growth in corporate America."

With U.S. headquarters in Chicago, BP is a global producer of oil and gas with operations in more than 70 countries.