When Xanthe had her first daughter 12 years ago, she did not expect to spend a decade out of work.
In 2013, she left her job at Manchester council in search of a less stressful career. But after exhausting all avenues, she almost gave up.
She volunteered at a charity shop in the hope that it would help her find a job in retail. She even completed an accountancy course.
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But for 10 years, she ‘didn’t get a look in’. “I used to have sleepless nights,” she said. “I thought, why would anyone employ me?”
Everything changed when Xanthe, who lives in East Didsbury, decided to make the move into the world of data. Now a mum-of-two, she completed a Cloud Analytics Bootcamp with IN4, a digital skills training and business support provider based in Salford, last year.
Xanthe had previously ‘dabbled’ in tech, learning code while her kids were at nursery and completing some free courses online. But after signing up for the 24-week government-funded bootcamp, she suddenly noticed a huge difference when she applied for jobs.
Xanthe Sharp is an Apprentice Business Analyst
(Image: Darren Robinson Photography)
“I started to feel like I’m in demand and people are interested,” she said. “It was instantaneous.”
After receiving several calls from employers interested in hiring her, Xanthe started working as an Apprentice Business Analyst with Modular Data in April 2023, ending her 10-year career break. Starting on a salary of £23,000, the 42-year-old now earns £31,000 a year.
And the best bit? The job is fully remote, meaning that Xanthe can fit in the school run and be there for her children when they are at home. “It’s boosted my confidence,” Xanthe explained, “I used to worry I didn’t have enough to talk about or much interesting to say.
“I’m not judging anyone else. That’s just how I felt about myself.
“Now I don’t have to worry so much about money,” she added. “It’s the peace of mind.
“Having that sense of purpose. I used to keep busy and do projects, but I kept thinking I could be making money.
“Now I actually have something to say when they [other mums] ask ‘what do you do?’ It helps to build friendships with others.”
IN4 CEO Mo Isap
(Image: Manchester Evening News)
Xanthe is now encouraging others to follow her lead. It comes as IN4 plans to get 1,000 career break mums into data jobs.
The Power of MIND (Mums in Data) programme aims to address the challenge that many women face in choosing between childcare and their career, resulting in a high percentage of women becoming economically inactive. According to IN4, data roles offer high flexibility, with many being fully remote, allowing mums and carers to pursue a career without compromising on family responsibilities.
Working across the North West and the Midlands, IN4 plans to upskill 40 women in each area and place them in high-skilled data roles within local organisations, such as housing associations, NHS and local authorities, by the end of 2025. Recruitment of the first cohort will start this month with an initial group of 20 mums and carers in Blackburn, before it is rolled out across Greater Manchester too.
Mo Isap, CEO of IN4 Group, said: “As the government has acknowledged to get Britain growing again, we’ve got to get Britain working again. What is needed is a targeted, hyper local approach which helps specific groups, such as mums and carers, get back into the workforce, and not just rely on job centres.
“The inspiration for The Power of Mind (Mums in Data) has come from the success we’ve had with career break mums from some of our other Skills City programmes with life transforming impact; this has led me to create a more deliberate programme for stay-at-home mums and female carers, ensuring they can have great careers without compromising their children or caring responsibilities. The mission of the Programme is to meet the needs of the economy without compromising the responsibilities of society.”
Xanthe added: “Embarking on a new career has been transformative for my life. I’ve got confidence and it’s made a big difference to my family.
“My current role is 100 per cent working from home; it fits in really well with the school runs and allows me to be there when the children are at home. The advice I’d give other mums thinking about whether to take this step is just go for it.
“You’ll have something amazing on your CV and will learn new skills.”