WE HUB, Government of Telangana and VMware India sign MoU that helps women resume work in Telangana

VMware India today announced the signing of MoU with the WE HUB, a Government of Telangana initiative for women entrepreneurs, to extend VMinclusion Taara’s upskilling and return to work program in the State. With this MoU, VMware and WE HUB aim to empower women with the skills they need to return to their dormant/ interrupted technology careers. The aim is also to provide a platform for deeper and better networking opportunities for women in technology to be a part of the economic workforce of the state. WE HUB aims at providing a platform by enabling skill upgradation, networking opportunities and the career options for Women returning to workforce in Telangana. As part of the collaboration, WE HUB will be integrating modules on entrepreneurship as an addition to the curriculum so the various opportunities available for Women planning a return to the work force can utilize.

Through VMinclusion Taara, VMware continues to work towards upskilling up to 15,000 women, by providing free technical education and certification courses on digital business transformation technology. Those who enroll will have access to courses on VMware technology (Basics, Intermediate & Advanced Certification) and become VMware Certified Professionals. Upskilling and certification courses on cloud computing, virtualization, and networking are invaluable for women trying to rejoin the workforce after a hiatus or for those working to build their business in this era of technology disruption.

Over 5,000 women have already registered for the program in little more than a year since its launch, and the numbers continue to grow. Taara graduates across the country have also successfully restarted their careers after completing the program, bearing witness to the industry’s growing acceptance and requirement for women technologists.

WE HUB will help enroll women in Telangana who wish to return to the workforce, so they can get up-to-speed with the skills needed to be effective in the ever-evolving tech industry. Candidates will be selected for the programme on a ‘first-come-first-serve’ basis subject to the following eligibility criteria:

• Women who are citizens of India and reside within the territorial jurisdiction of India can enroll in the programme.
• It is an upskilling and return-to-work programme.
• Any Indian woman who has not been employed with any company (whether in India or overseas) for six months or more is eligible to apply for the programme.
• Any woman who has completed her graduation at least six months earlier and has not yet found employment can also enroll for the programme to become a VMware-certified professional.

This program is only open for women who are citizens of India and reside within the territorial jurisdiction of the country and who have not been working for six months or more. It is also open to women who have completed their graduation at least 6 months ago and not yet found employment. Since the program is delivered online, it is self-paced and free of cost, it is easier for women on a break to complete the course based on their schedule.

Jayesh Ranjan, IAS, Principal Secretary to the Government. Of Telangana, IT E&C said, “The Telangana Government has always been at the forefront of bringing in policies and initiatives for increased participation of women by building ecosystem enablers like WE HUB. As a state, we identify that women’s contribution to India’s GDP stands at 18%, one of the lowest in the world, reflecting the fact that only 25% of India’s labour force is female[1]. Mainstreaming career returns and normalizing career breaks can push the needle and help reverse the trend of the declining labour force participation rate of women. It can help businesses infuse greater gender diversity in the workforces and can also have incremental influences on the state and country’s GDP.  We are glad to have an opportunity to see the collaboration between with WE HUB and VMware to create a greater impact in the society and help the women in Telangana through the joint partnership with the innovation and entrepreneurship program”

Deepthi Ravula, CEO, WE HUB said, “In the course of our work to bring more women into Entrepreneurship, we have identified the huge opportunity and potential we are missing out on due to women who have not been able to return to the workforce. When it comes to challenges for women returning to work, multiple studies have found that the absence of a strong network and skill gap are the two barriers listed on top, according to 59% and 36% of respondents, respectively[2]. While WE HUB has built a strong network, we are glad to partner with VMware, a pioneer in its diversity initiatives to reduce the skill gap. We are also including components of entrepreneurship into the course of our collaboration with Taara so we can motivate more female tech entrepreneurs.”

Duncan Hewett, VMware senior vice president and general manager, Asia Pacific and Japan said, “We welcome the Government of Telangana’s support to partner with VMware for VMinclusion Taara by signing a joint Memorandum of Understanding today and committing to support the career growth of women in technology. VMware has a long-term commitment to India’s digital infrastructure and digital skills. We are encouraged by the positive response to the VMinclusion Taara program in India so far which has helped more than 5,000 women to register to take a step towards returning to work. VMware’s public-private sector partnership with WE HUB will encourage more women in India to successfully grow their career at a time when digital skills are more critical than ever before. I am excited at the possibility that VMware and WE HUB will now be taking the message of diversity and inclusion into every region of Telangana. VMware looks forward to continued collaboration with central and state governments across India to further the interest of women in technology.”

Ms. Anita Vijaykrishnan, vice president of IT, VMware India said, “Diversity and inclusivity is one of the key values at VMware. Our program, VMinclusion Taara provides a way of rebalancing the gender gap in the Indian technology sector. We believe that a more diverse IT workforce is crucial for establishing India as a global innovation hub. Together, WE HUB and VMware can make a tremendous difference to workforce diversity in India and help bridge the gender gap by enabling women to network and innovate alongside other women in STEM. We are confident that this partnership will encourage more women to pursue careers in the technology industry.”

VMware is committed to empowering women in India by helping them build their skills, providing access to technology, and giving them tools they need to support their learning. Over the years VMware has made several concerted efforts to leverage its technologies and platforms for education and up-skilling to not only impact enterprises and organizations but also to assist individuals. This collaboration is an extension of that effort, where both organizations will leverage each other’s strengths and assist women to access more opportunities both as job seekers and entrepreneurs. The aim is to enable women to participate and embrace these opportunities to achieve their potential, despite the challenges faced.