About 87% of the female professionals surveyed during the study, conducted in 20 Indian tier-I and -II cities, were actively seeking upskilling opportunities in technology-based programmes, a press release said.
This comes at a time when the job market is evolving rapidly due to advancements in new technology, and understanding of new-age tech skills is becoming crucial for senior professionals who are expected to drive changes in their organisations.
“It is evident that women are keen to position themselves as leaders in the tech-driven job market,” said Mohan Kannegal, chief executive, India and APAC, Emeritus.
The study surveyed more than 1,700 professionals. The average age of the respondents was 39 years, and the average work experience was 12 years.
In line with the growing interest among women to upskill in technology, almost on par with men (88%), the study found that women at the C-Suite level were willing to spend more than men on their further education.Female CXOs were found willing to spend on average $10,000 (about Rs 8-9 lakh) on further education within the next year, nearly $1,500 (about Rs 1.25 lakhs) more than male CXOs, reflecting an effort by them to be frontrunners in the rapidly evolving tech-driven industries.Female participants across various seniority levels, including junior management (34%), middle management (27%), senior management (21%) and owners (38%), expressed the highest willingness to invest in the $100- $399 (about Rs 8,000 to 34,000) price range for upskilling in a year. Those at the C-Suite level (32%) demonstrated a slightly greater inclination to spend on higher-cost upskilling programmes, between $ 10,000 and $50,000.
The primary objective of the upskilling was to increase self-confidence, develop leadership skills, increase job security and stay abreast of the latest knowledge in the field, according to the Emeritus Global Workplace Skills Study.
The study also showed that the male workforce increasingly preferred shorter programmes (the majority willing to spend 2-3 months on a programme), while female professionals across seniority levels were ready to dedicate 4-6 months for upskilling.