Programme participants will complete a 10-week paid placement with Accenture Technology, with top performers offered roles with the global management consulting and professional services company.

Recruitment for the Break|Through programme is underway and is open to professionals who have been out of the workplace for more than two years. Candidates will need to have a “passion for technology, strong learning aptitude, project management skills and commercial acumen”.

Successful applicants take part in an initial intensive five-week training programme to refresh their skills and expose them to the latest technologies, spending the remaining five weeks working on a project within one of Accenture’s Technology teams. Each returner will be allocated an experienced mentor for support and guidance.

Explaining the reasons for the programme launch, Zahra Bahrololoumi, managing director for Accenture Technology in the UK and Ireland, said: “We’re committed to helping people succeed in both their work and personal lives, and we understand that many professionals will choose to take a career break to focus on their personal commitments.

“Bringing together people with diverse life experiences and perspectives makes us more innovative, and our Break|Through programme will enable us to tap into a new pool of talented professionals beyond our traditional recruitment channels.

“The scale of technological change that takes place during a career break can be daunting for returners, yet we know from our research that digital skills can play a significant role in career advancement.”

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