ON International Women’s Day, Mindtree launched a ‘returnship’ programme for technology professionals to restart their careers after a break. The programme was launched in Kolkata and expanded to all other Mindtree locations.
Professionals with a minimum two years of experience followed by a break of at least two years are eligible for the programme. While it is open to all professionals looking to return to the workplace, the majority of them are expected to be women.
The programme forms an important part of Mindtree’s endeavor to expand its diversity and inclusion (D&I) initiatives to professionals whose personal circumstances may have resulted in a professional hiatus. It will include digital learning boot camps, skills-based intervention, mentorship, and opportunities to work on live, cutting-edge projects.
“The objective of our returnship programme is to make that return as seamless and effective as possible. It seeks to help returnees rediscover their talent and a sense of purpose. We plan to leverage our acclaimed learning and development programmes to give these individuals an opportunity to upskill and evolve into higher-end career opportunities,” says Mr Suresh Bethavandu, Chief People Officer at Mindtree.
The programme will bring in diverse talent to Mindtree and help them hone skills to accelerate their careers. This will enable Mindtree to unlock the greater innovation and creativity that come with a diverse workforce and an inclusive workplace.
As part of its D&I charter, Mindtree is already aggressively working on a wide range of initiatives such as focused hiring, leadership development, coaching and mentoring to increase the proportion of women professionals in the workforce from the current 32% to 40% by 2030.