Across the world, female representation in the workforce is around 48 per cent. However, data by the World Bank (2019) reveals that in In India, women make up only 23 per cent of the labour force. More studies reveal that several women in India drop out of the workforce due to various reasons such as marriage, family planning, taking care of the elderly, and other life events. According to a study by the Center for Talent Innovation, only 58 per cent of these women can rejoin work.
The widespread stigmatisation of a career gap and sometimes, outdated skills make things more difficult for women to get a job they deserve, after a break. Due to this, several tech companies in India have initiated programmes to provide equal opportunities to women and help professionals get back to work after a sabbatical.
Here are a few programmes that help women rejoin the workforce.
Amazon Rekindle
Rekindle, an initiative by e-commerce giant Amazon, aims to reintegrate women who have taken a minimum of 12 months of break, back into the workforce. The programme provides mentorship, skill upgrade, flexible work options, and mentoring. Women applying for the programme will be provided assistance to prepare for the interview for the job they seek. After that, there will be a standard hiring process by Amazon. If selected for the job position, the individual will be given guidance and support on getting assimilated into the company.
Google Next Innings
Google’s Next Innings programme is for women who seek to return to work and have at least five years of prior experience. They should have a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or an equivalent field. The shortlisted professionals get mentorship from industry experts while getting to work on Google Cloud’s core technologies. This is a six-month programme and offers compensation.
Accenture Return to Work
Accenture’s Return to Work programme is a 16-week paid returnship that helps reintegrate professionals after a minimum of an 18-month break. It offers skill upgrades in domains including cloud, AI, DevOps and intelligent automation. Once the programme is completed, there are opportunities for full-time employment at Accenture.
Microsoft Springboard
This helps women who have taken a minimum of six months break to rejoin the workforce. The candidates must have at least four years of experience. The 16-weeks programme offers training, community support, and mentorship.
IBM’s Tech Re-Entry
IBM’s Tech Re-Entry programme aims to help professionals to rejoin the workforce after taking at least a two-year sabbatical. However, people who took haven’t worked for as long as 20 years can also join the programme. It offers skill upgrade, on-job projects, and the opportunity to get absorbed into IBM in full-time positions.
PayPal Recharge India
This six-week programme at a fintech company, PayPal, provides rejoining opportunities to women who took a break of one to five years. The company reveals that in the past two years, 200 women have been for a skill-building programme while 75 joined PayPal’s boot camp. Also, 20 women were eventually offered a job at PayPal.
Thoughtworks Vapasi
The programme aims to bring women back to the workforce after a sabbatical of one to eight years. It is completely free and gives certification to the women completing the programme. It offers mentorship, hands-on sessions, and interactions with leaders.