AGSM @ UNSW Business School announces new Career Comeback Sponsorship Program
Applications are now open for the next Career Comeback Sponsorship program to run in early 2024.
Published on the 20 November 2023
The AGSM Career Comeback program is primarily designed to address the skills barriers faced by professionals returning from a career break and, for the first time, those who are currently employed in part-time and/or hybrid work seeking to return to a full-time role.
Successful sponsorship recipients will attend a bespoke version of the highly rated two-day AGSM short course ‘The Authentic Communicator: Activating Presence’ that will run from 12 to 13 February 2024 at the UNSW Business School’s Sydney CBD campus. Sponsorship recipients will also have access to a suite of AGSM leadership development resources and networking events.
The Sponsorship includes:
- Virtual ‘kick off’ in December 2023
- 2-day AGSM short course ‘The Authentic Communicator: Activating Presence’ at UNSW Sydney CBD campus (valued at $3,850)
- Invitation to AGSM Professional Forum in mid-2024
- Access to AGSM and UNSW Business School global 100,000+ alumni community.
The design of the Career Comeback Sponsorship Program is informed by the findings of the 2023 Women’s Ambition Report published by Women’s Agenda. The report found that nearly 40% of respondents had taken a career break of three months or more for childcare commitments in the past ten years. While 43% of respondents said they are ‘more ambitious than ever before’, 32% said they lack confidence in their ability to juggle work and other responsibilities. 63% citing overwhelm and balancing home responsibilities with work being a reason for suspected burnout. With burnout coming up as the leading potential hurdle in the way of what they are looking to achieve in the next 24 months.
One of the challenges Career Comeback seeks to address is how career breaks and new ways of working post-COVID are impacting people’s career choices and their ability to get ahead. More than half 57% of respondents listed communication as one of their top skills for the future, followed closely by 46% citing empathy.
“The AGSM Career Comeback Sponsorships enable people to address critical skills gaps that are impacting their ability to fully engage in the professional workforce,” Tracey Flynn, Director, AGSM Executive Education.
The 2023 Women’s Ambition Report found that 43% of women say they are ‘more ambitious than ever before’ yet those in hybrid work or working from home reported that:
- 27% say a lack of visibility to their team is hindering their career
- 37% say a lack of visibility to upper management is hindering their career
- 16% believe their work arrangements are hindering their ability to get promoted, while 10% say it is aiding their career.
“There is a real need to address the barriers that are preventing women in particular who have taken time out from a career from achieving their professional goals – whether that is due to a career break for carers responsibilities, moving into a part-time role to juggle work and family responsibilities,” Flynn said.
Because we design each iteration of Career Comeback with the learners needs and current market dynamics in mind, participating individuals and organisations leave prepared (positive, confident, authentic) and supported to realise their full potential in this next phase of their life, whether it is returning to a past role or venturing into a new one by focusing on learning and activities that embody a robust growth mindset and build personal resilience,” she said.