2 out of 3 women professionals felt empowered to return to work after a hiatus by upskilling themselves via professional learning programmes, as per the findings from the Emeritus India Impact Survey 2022. The survey was conducted by Emeritus, a global leader in world-class professional education, to understand how professionals stay job-ready and future-proof their careers with the help of professional programmes from Emeritus.
According to McKinsey & Company’s global report, a “broken rung” prevents women from stepping up in their career ladders as fewer women are promoted in their jobs compared to men. The Emeritus India Impact Survey found that learning programmes can help women significantly in overcoming this invisible barrier – with 82% of the respondents witnessing a positive impact of the programmes within six months of having taken them and 93% reporting being more effective at work after taking up a professional course.
In an encouraging sign that could help close the gender pay gap, the survey also found that reskilling and knowledge enhancement programmes helped about 79% women professionals to advance in their career in current organisation, while 61% moved ahead in a new organisation after taking up a programme with Emeritus. Over a quarter of women respondents also reported drawing pay checks higher by up to 50%.
Owing to the stigma around career breaks and motherhood penalty (mothers being paid less than fathers) faced by several women professionals, their self-esteem also often takes a hit. The survey found that the learning programmes also helped women participants boost their self-confidence. An overwhelming 100% of the respondents reported an increase in their self-confidence and leadership capabilities after finishing a programme. Women professionals also admitted that learning programmes helped them in developing their business acumen (78%), building and expanding their network (95%), increased job security (71%), imparted necessary skills required to advance their careers (61%), as well as, helped them thrive and standout in the job market (55%).
Commenting on the Emeritus India Impact Survey findings, Mr. Mohan Kannegal, CEO, India and APAC, Emeritus, said, “At Emeritus we are dedicated to ensuring that everyone in India has access to high-quality, life-changing education. Our partnerships with some of the world’s leading educational institutions have helped us drive significant impact on the careers of professionals when it comes to moving up the ladder within their organisation or even finding new opportunities. The survey results reflect how many women are benefitting in many ways through high-quality upskilling programmes and are able to forge ahead in their career paths.”
The India Impact Survey was conducted in September 2022, with learners who completed Emeritus professional education programmes through its partner schools before June 2022.
Emeritus connects learners through global virtual classrooms, partnering with over 60 top universities to offer online and app-based learning in formats including courses, certificates, online degrees, boot camps, etc. The company has a truly global reach – serving more than 250,000 learners across 160 countries, with programmes offered in a variety of languages.