The University of St. Gallen, one of the leading business schools in Europe, offers both an English- and a German-language management program exclusively for women. The "Women Back to Business" (WBB) program is aimed specifically at women with a university degree who have taken a career break and wish to return to the professional world or corporate environment or reposition themselves in the job market.
Johnson & Johnson, on the other hand, understands and values non-traditional career paths, unique skills and life experiences. Here, the prevailing belief is that taking a career break to pursue another important life stage shouldn't get in the way of the next breakthrough - it should enhance it. With this in mind, the global Re-Ignite returnship program has decided to support the "Women Back to Business" program of St. Gallen University for another 2 years until mid-2023. The now extended partnership with the University of St. Gallen offers an excellent opportunity to bring high-caliber and diverse talent to Johnson & Johnson.
For example, a three-day module hosted by Johnson and Johnson for the WBB program shows that this really works. This included a networking event with Johnson & Johnson leaders who spoke on various topics. Thanks to this event and the partnership, five returners have been recruited to Johnson & Johnson's Re-Ignite program. Re-Ignite is a return-to-work program that brings STEM2D and management-level professionals with a two-year career break, back into the workforce.
In February 2021, the Career Relaunch Unit at the University of St. Gallen also hosted a Career Relaunch Fair with keynotes, TED Talks, and the awarding of the Career Empowerment label to companies that advocate for job seekers with non-linear careers and value diverse team compositions. J&J is a proud recipient of the Career Empowerment label for 2020/21.