Jana Latzel is the Equal Opportunities Officer for the Labor Market at the Bremen-Bremerhaven Employment Agency. In the Bremen office, she and her colleague Silke Steckel support people in returning to work, for example after a period of family leave with young children or after caring for relatives.
We at the Bremen family network wanted to know exactly what their support looks like – and what tips can help make a return to work as successful as possible.
Hello Ms. Latzel, you work at the employment agency as an equal opportunities officer. What do you do there?
"The tasks of the Equal Opportunities Officer for the Labor Market are very diverse. We advise and support employers, employees, and their organizations in all matters relating to career advancement and re-entry into the workforce. However, the goal is always to promote equality between women and men in the labor market."
The term "re-entry" sounds familiar, but what exactly does "re-entry" mean to you?
"Re-entry means that people who have interrupted their professional activity for a certain period of time, for example to look after children or to care for relatives in need of care, return to working life. We call this reintegration into interrupted professional activity re-entry."
How do you support people who want to return to work? What kind of help do you offer?
"Our support options are extremely diverse. We advise and inform women on how they can reconcile family and career in order to get back on track professionally, how they can find a suitable job, or whether, for example, (part-time) training will lead them to a professional qualification.".
Childcare is also an issue; we can help if the planned start of employment or training is at risk of failing due to a lack of childcare.
We can provide support with financing for education and training. We design and organize various events such as lectures and workshops. The range of topics extends from online applications and job interviews to workshops focusing on salary negotiations
Why do women want to participate in professional life again? What do they experience most frequently?
"The main motivations are financial. The available household income is insufficient or needs to be increased. These economic considerations also include retirement planning, as returning to work naturally increases existing pension entitlements. Unfortunately, this point is often underestimated.".
The desire to re-enter the job market is often also linked to the wish to try something new. This usually occurs after a longer period of family leave and with increasing age, when many women finally have the freedom to pursue their own interests. And unfortunately, there are also unforeseen events, such as divorce or the death of a loved one, that make this step financially necessary.
When I started my career about 15 years ago, women took long family breaks and were often at home for ten to twenty years. Today, that has changed. Young women want or need to return to work earlier and earlier, usually after just one or two years. However, returning to work is still rarely a sure thing, and the longer the family break lasts, the greater the challenge of successfully managing it
In your opinion, what are the biggest obstacles to returning to work?
"Women often lose their professional self-confidence and underestimate their own abilities. The job-relevant skills they have acquired during career breaks, for example through voluntary work, are overlooked. Therefore, empowering women is a crucial factor for success.".
Many women think, especially after a longer break: "I haven't done anything important, and I can't do anything anymore." In addition, the qualifications they once acquired are no longer up-to-date, or they don't even have a professional qualification yet. The majority of women only want to or can only work part-time, often only in the mornings. This is difficult, as we have relatively few part-time jobs, especially in Bremen
In your opinion, what should the steps for re-entry into the workforce look like?
"Re-entering the workforce is a great opportunity. I call them 'The three big Cs of re-entry':
- Communication:
What do I want myself? What specific ideas do I have? What am I good at? You should also ask yourself what is personally important to you: money, career, or leisure time. - Concept:
Create your return-to-work plan. Naturally, your future career path must fit into your personal life situation. This means your working hours should be clearly defined and childcare arranged. Perhaps you want to finish your studies or start an apprenticeship? - Focus:
Implementation – When you begin your return to work, treat this time like your new job – in terms of your personal and time commitment.
In addition, I always advise women: "Think big," meaning dare to do something!
Are there any examples or experiences from your job where you would say: That worked out great!
"These happen all the time. A few weeks after a workshop on 'salary negotiation,' a woman called me, thanked me, and told me that she had finally mustered the courage to ask her boss for a raise. And it worked!"
Or a Syrian woman came to me and asked how she could become a nurse. After a long conversation, it turned out that she had worked as a doctor in Syria, and hopefully she will soon be doing that again in Bremen.”
What do you enjoy most about your job?
"Constantly getting to know new people, accompanying them for a while on their journey, and ideally being able to offer some help and support. Last year I launched an IT initiative for women.".
Since then, we've offered every woman the opportunity to spend four weeks getting to know the IT industry and, often, a completely new working world. Women who are interested can then pursue further qualifications. I'm delighted with every woman who has seized this opportunity and will do so in the future.”
Jana Latzel is the Equal Opportunities Officer for the Labor Market at the Bremen-Bremerhaven Employment Agency. Together with her colleague Silke Steckel, she supports people, especially women, in returning to work.