Staying relevant while on a break is a challenge that most women face. A survey conducted by JobsForHer, in association with Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s S P Jain Institute of Management  And Research (SPJIMR), to evaluate the need for upskilling before returning to work after a career break revealed a dramatic increase of 23% from last year’s survey where 60% of women opted to upskill. 

The results suggest that women professionals are determined to join  back the workforce and are actively looking for opportunities for both upskilling and career comebacks. 

As the corporate world  embraces the hybrid mode of working,, we have seen a 40% increase in the number of career opportunities that are available for women on JobsForHer from 2020 to 2021.

Last year, companies worked on improving  their returnee programs to accommodate the best talent from a  diverse and large talent pool of women returning to work after a career break. 

According to the DivHERsity Benchmarking Report, 2020-2021, released by JosbForHer:

• 67% of large enterprises surveyed have special company policies to hire women returnees. 
• 94% of women agree that upskilling will improve their chances of getting the desired job 
• 60% agree that a management degree will help them to scale up their careers and designation. 

Neha Bagaria, Founder & CEO of JobsForHer, said, “Women returnees are looking for curated courses, both online and offline. They have realised the potential and importance of upskilling in building their confidence and giving them a feel of the corporate world before making a full-fledged career comeback,” Neha Bagaria, Founder & CEO of JobsForHer, said.

There is an upsurge in the number of courses being offered across streams, from beginners to intermediate and advanced to a full-fledged management degree.

For instance, SPJIMR offers  a Post Graduate Management Programme designed exclusively for women returning to work.  

This program aims 0at helping returnee women equip themselves with business acumen before they step back into their field of experience. SPJIMR’s goal is to enable these women with the necessary skills and knowledge to step into managerial roles and leadership positions.

Ashita Aggarwal, Professor of Marketing and Chairperson, PGMPW, SPJIMR, said, “In the fiercely competitive and performance-driven world today, upskilling helps participants match up to the expectations of their role in organizations. They feel more confident and ready to perform. Also, the world is changing fast and so all of us, irrespective of whether we have taken a break or not, need to upgrade our skills and knowledge,” Ashita Aggarwal, Professor of Marketing and Chairperson, PGMPW, SPJIMR, said.