There are many working women who take a break from their careers either due to motherhood, layoffs, or personal reasons which may be planned or unplanned.

Getting back to work after a long period can be challenging but it is not impossible. Here are some tips to help you plan your return to the workforce 

  • Keep yourself updated with current trends in your industry & be prepared 
  • Network with your previous employees & colleagues 
  • Refresh & Improve your skills 
  • Update your resume and explain the reason for your sabbatical  in your cover lette
  • Attend industry events like webinars, conferences & seminars, join support groups that will help you stay connected and apprised
  • Create a Linkedin profile 

One of the key steps before returning to work is upskilling yourself with the current tools and programs that are essential to improve your existing skills and learn new ones.

We have listed  some Training & Upskilling Programs by Microsoft that will surely help you  return to work after a break 

Digi Saksham 

Microsoft India in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment has launched the ‘Digi Saksham’ Program to empower and upskill job seekers in the country. The Centre plans to train 3,00,000 job seekers under this scheme in the first year.

Digi Saksham provides the registered job seekers three types of training  – ILT mode training (Instructor-Led), digital skills (Self-Paced Learning) and VILT mode training (Virtual Instructor Lead).It is a free program

Features of the Program 

  • The DigiSaksham scheme has been conceptualised and designed by Microsoft India
  • The scheme will be implemented in the field by Aga Khan Rural Support Programme-India (AKRSP-I) and its knowledge partner TMI e2E Academy
  • The program will include subjects like programming languages, data analytics, software development fundamentals, and advanced digital productivity
  • Jobseekers registered on National Career Service (NCS) can access Microsoft learning resources on the National Career Service (NCS) Portal 
  • This project aims to support the existing government ecosystem by upskilling job seekers through a four-step approach: Facilitation-Content Integration-Jobseeker Training-Employment Assistance
  • The initiative will also give priority to the job-seekers who have been displaced or lost jobs due to Covid-19. 

Eligibility Criteria

  • The DigiSaksham Program is suitable for those who want to learn and upskill themselves but are unable to due to financial constraints or non-availabity for such courses in their area 

For more details click here 

Cyber Shikshaa

The Cyber Shikshaa Initiative aims to produce effective skilled women professionals in India. Under this initiative, engineering graduates are trained in Cyber Security courses across the country and provided with employment opportunities. This program is a joint initiative of Microsoft & Data Security Council of India (DSCI) with support from ISEA an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY)

Features of the Program 

  • The Cyber Shikshaa program is a 4-month interactive training course with a combination of theory, case studies practical hands-on, and projects.
  • The course curriculum has been designed  by  DSCI 
  • The program also includes mentoring sessions with industry leaders, training and technical sessions by Microsoft employee volunteers and soft skills workshops
  • On successful completion of the training, a certificate is awarded along with placement assistance

Eligibility Criteria

  • Exclusively for women
  • Engineering Graduates
  • Age bracket – 21 to 26 years
  • Family income should be less than 7 lacs per annum

For more details , please click here

Microsoft Learn

Microsoft Learn is a free, online training platform that provides interactive learning for Microsoft products and more. This platform is beneficial to both experienced working professionals as well as freshers. The platform encourages and facilitates advanced skills learning and preparation for certifications.

Features of the Program 

  • Microsoft Learn provides free online training programs 
  •  The program provides role-based training and learning paths for Azure developers, solution architects, and administrators.
  • It also provides role-based training and learning paths for Microsoft Power BI, PowerApps, Dynamics365, Microsoft365, Office, and Visual Studio.
  • It helps to upgrade your career by taking your skills to the next level with self-paced learning, instructor-led training, and certification.
  • It has more than 1000 modules that include videos, labs, and articles
  • The trainings are aligned with 35 Microsoft certifications 

For more details click here 

Microsoft Educator Centre 

The Microsoft Certified Educator Program is a professional development program for teachers that bridges the gap between technology skills and innovative teaching. This platform provides free access to Microsoft Education tools to educators who are looking forward to upskilling themselves with specific and latest skills for their effective professional development.

Some of the training modules & courses  available are 

  • Hybrid learning: A new model for the future of learning
  • Embed 21st-century skills with 21st-century learning design
  • Teach forward: Best strategies for hybrid, remote, and blended learning
  • Independent learning with math tools in OneNote

  • Assign and assess learners with assignments and forms in Teams

Features of the Platform 

  • Microsoft Educator Centre provides free online learning & development tools 
  • The Microsoft Educator Center (MEC) is migrating to the Microsoft Learn Educator Center in the coming months
  • The Learn Educator Center will provide custom professional development and technical skilling pathways, content, and certifications for your students to develop 21st-century skills
  • Find the content you need, filter by your role as a K-12 Educator, Higher-Ed Educator, School Leader, or Parent and Guardian under the role filter 

For more details click here 

The Microsoft Global Skills Initiative Program

2020 has been tough worldwide and the pandemic has resulted in many losing their jobs even. One of the keys to a genuinely inclusive recovery are programs that provide easier access to digital skills for people hardest hit by job losses, including those with lower incomes, women, and underrepresented minorities. The Global Skills Initiative Program by Microsoft aims at this only.

Features of the Program 

  • This program aims at bringing more digital skills to 25 million people worldwide by the end of the year.
  • This comprehensive approach will combine existing and new resources from Microsoft, inclusive of LinkedIn and GitHub, and will be grounded in three areas of activity:
  1. Use data to identify in-demand skills and jobs-As part of this new initiative
  2. Offer free access to learning paths and skilling resources needed for the in-demand jobs
  3. Connect these skills to low-cost certifications and free job-seeking tools to help people pursue these job
  • All these tools, training, and certifications are available online in four languages: English, French, German, and Spanish.

For more details click here 

The Back to Work Session

All those who are eager to get back to work but have many questions in their head/ feeling stuck on how to proceed or what the first step is – you need to attend ‘The Back To Work Session’ by Women@Microsoft India
 
return to work
 
The panel has women corporate leaders and a leading entrepreneur – and one thing most of them have in common is that they all took a break and went back to joining work at some point in their life.
 
So be rest assured to receive practical advice/tips & leads from these women. This will not be an FB Live session. This will be a closed group conversation and audience questions will be entertained at the end.
 
Please signup  here to receive the invite