Workforce Development
Life Sciences Returnship Initiative
Harnessing Experience, Creating Opportunities
We recognize the value returners bring to the workforce.
Utah’s life sciences industry is expected to outpace overall statewide job growth in the coming years, requiring a talent pipeline to fuel industry needs. Returners are an asset, poised to contribute to industry advancement.
Our intention is to cultivate a growing awareness of returners and prepare them for career re-entry while working to generate more opportunities for returners in the Utah life sciences.
A returner is an experienced professional, typically mid- to senior-level, who has elected to take an extended absence from employment for personal reasons and is seeking to re-enter the workforce. Reasons can include: illness, parental leave, caregiving to family, retirement, bereavement, or military service.
A returnship is a temporary role with customized support for individuals who have taken an extended absence from their career. Generally 12-20 weeks long, returnships offer a transitionary pathway back into the workforce and often lead to full-time employment opportunities. It offers useful experience for returners to update their skills to current industry standards, rebuild their network, and re-develop confidence in the workspace.
More on the business case here.
Meet the Cohort of Host Companies
Utah is home to the fastest-growing life sciences ecosystem in the country. We are pleased to partner with industry leaders in the pharma and diagnostics space to host our first round of Returners this spring.
ARUP Laboratories is a national nonprofit and academic reference laboratory at the forefront of diagnostic medicine. They are a CAP-, ISO 15189-, and CLIA-certified diagnostic lab with 40 years of experience supporting clients through unparalleled quality and service. Their forward-thinking community of academic experts and consultants is here to empower clients with the most current industry knowledge and unparalleled guidance.
Recursion Pharmaceuticals is a clinical stage TechBio company leading the space by decoding biology to industrialize drug discovery. Enabling its mission is the Recursion OS, a platform built across diverse technologies that continuously expands one of the world’s largest proprietary biological and chemical datasets.
Seek Labs is a company united by a vision to advance scientific discovery and universal solutions. Seek Labs strives to innovate healthcare solutions that bridge gaps between patients, providers, and treatments. Seek Labs is united by the passion of our founders and their shared beliefs that healthcare solutions should empower individuals and serve their specific needs.