Tata Steel announces the Women-of-Mettle scholarship programme for female students from selected engineering institutes in IndiaOver the years, Tata Steel has introduced several progressive HR policies and pioneering initiatives for its human resource and female employees in particular. In keeping with its commitment to the young generation, Tata Steel today announced a scholarship programme titled ‘Women-Of-Mettle’, a pioneering initiative to encourage gender diversity in the manufacturing industry. The programme aims to identify, groom and encourage female engineering talent for a sector that historically has had dis-balanced gender representation. The Women-of-Mettle programme illustrates Tata Steel’s belief that an organisation should reflect the diversity that is visible in the society we live in.
Female students in their second year of engineering from select 45+ engineering institutes across India are invited to be a part of this programme. The interested applicants, post initial stage of profile screening, will undergo a rigorous selection process. The process entails working on a technical challenge (shall be available on - http://www.valueabled.com/women-of-mettle.aspx) and the top 30 female students will present their proposed solution to an esteemed jury of experts and professionals. Post evaluation, top 10 winners will be eligible for the scholarship amount of Rs1 lakh each, which will be given in the third and fourth year of the course. The winners also get the opportunity to do a paid internship (third year), receive mentorship from the senior leadership of the organisation, sponsorship to participate in technical conferences and relevant organizational initiatives, and a pre-placement job offer. The balance 20 candidates will be eligible for pre-placement interviews during the final recruitment process.
Speaking on the Women-Of-Mettle scholarship programme announcement, Suresh Dutt Tripathi, VP, HRM, Tata Steel, said, “At Tata Steel, gender diversity is not about ensuring that we have a certain percentage of women working for the organisation. It is rather about ensuring that we attract the best people into the group, be it men or women, and offer them an equal and fair opportunity to develop their skills and contribute to our growth and success. With the Women-Of-Mettle scholarship programme, we aim to attract more female talent from across the country to join the manufacturing sector. Tata Steel will surely set the trend for the sector to follow.”
Atrayee S Sanyal, chief diversity officer and chief of marketing & sales, Tata Steel, added, “Tata Steel has proven to be a perfect launchpad for many women leaders in the organisation. Building an equitable and healthy work culture along with a diverse leadership team is a responsibility Tata Steel takes seriously. The Women-Of-Mettle scholarship programme, part of MOSAIC - Diversity and Inclusion initiative of the company, is a pioneering step towards inspiring young female talent to work in the sector.”