OREANDA-NEWS. December 29, 2011. The Tata group has announced the launch of the fourth edition of the Tata Second Career Internship Programme (SCIP), a pioneering initiative to provide a platform to women on a career break, to return to the corporate sector. This year the programme has taken a step ahead by making the application process an ‘ongoing-online’ feature. Aspirants can now log on to www.tatasecondcareer.com to view, select and apply for ‘live business projects’, online, throughout the year, just like any other job portal. The website has received more than 20,000 hits within a week, with around 1,770 registrations, already, from cities across India including Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune and Chennai.

Projects with various Tata group companies are on offer, spanning multiple expertise domain areas such as marketing, sales, advertising / communications, human resource management, finance / accounting, legal, manufacturing, engineering, design, IT, corporate planning, hospitality, retail, CSR and other corporate functions.

Radhakrishnan Nair, head, talent acquisition, group HR, Tata Services, explains, "The overwhelming response that Tata SCIP has received, since its launch in 2008, and the change that it has been able to bring in the lives of women who are ready to resume their career after taking a break / sabbatical for various reasons, has encouraged us to launch the fourth edition. With new features and new cities, we aspire to take Tata SCIP to a national level soon. We believe that SCIP will gradually create a cadre of women professionals in the higher management strata thereby ensuring that corporates do not lose out on their talent as well as rich and varied experience."

As part of the programme, the selected candidates will get the opportunity to work on a ‘live’ business project offered by Tata group companies with approximately 500 hours of engagement. This will be spread over five to six months on a flexi-time basis. They will get to work with the best of Tata managers who will be their guides till the end of the project. Individuals are provided with project fees between Rs3 to 4 lakh and a work certificate.

SCIP is open for women who have a professional qualification in management / accountancy / law / IT / design or engineering, have a minimum of four years of work experience and who have taken a minimum of one year or a maximum of eight years break in their career for personal commitments.

Ms Shilpa (name changed), a Tata SCIP candidate and a professional from the outsourcing industry took a break in her career to take care of her young daughter. After being at home for two years, she wanted to return to work but with flexible hours. “I wanted to be able to balance work with my personal responsibilities.” There are many others who shift their focus to their personal lives at the expense of their careers. As the years pass, these women find it increasingly difficult to get back to the workplace. The Tata group came up with SCIP in the year 2008 to help such women transition back to the work schedules. Launched first in Mumbai, Tata SCIP was extended to Pune and Bangalore, with Chennai being the new entrant this year.

Adds Ms Shilpa, “I’m happy with the way my career has progressed since the time I have resumed work. With the flexibility and understanding that it offers, Tata SCIP certainly helped me to re-enter the corporate world and enabled my transition to be a smooth and positive experience. My family also welcomed the change as it was gradual and not abrupt.”

“About a hundred women professionals have interned with us since the launch of the programme and most of them have been able to transit hundred per cent towards regular work schedules. We will be glad to enable more women with this initiative and at the same time offer this large pool of potential talent to the corporate world,” added Mr Nair.

The Tata group has created a dedicated Tata SCIP team to ensure a timely and transparent selection process. SCIP projects will be allotted based on the area of expertise of the woman applicant after a rigorous selection process.