Lahore : Telenor Pakistan takes great pride in leading the way when it comes to workplace inclusion and has established itself as a true leader in diversity. In line with this commitment, Telenor Pakistan has launched its 7th cohort of the Naya Aghaz program to drive women’s reintroduction into the workforce. The Naya Aghaaz program, first launched in 2014, was designed to create aninventive way of acquiring talent that aims to get women back to work giving them an opportunity to re-invent themselves in their careers.

The recent batch of Naya Aghaaz associates comprises of 11 women, from various geographical, educational and professional backgrounds, who will be placed in varying roles, including gaming, growth hacking, segments, HR partnering, field operations, revenue assurance, tax accounting and B2B enterprise solutions, throughout their 9-month long tenure.Since its inception, Naya Aghaaz has opened doors to not only cater to an untapped segment of the nation’s talented workforce, but also create a fresh pool of skilled resources that are better prepared to overcome challenges and break stereotypes. Since its launch, Telenor Pakistan has hired a total of 105 associates with a conversion rate of 40%.

Speaking to the press on the occasion, Chief Human Resource Officer, Telenor Pakistan, Oystein Bakken said, “We work outside the box, we work together and we strive to come up with new and practical opportunities that promote social development and the betterment of every individual, irrespective of gender. It’s our responsibility as an influential organisation to set the bar high when it comes to inclusion, both within and outside the workplace. Inclusion of women specifically holds the potential to have far-reaching social impacts that empower them to make significant contributions to the socioeconomic development of their families and communities. As we have seen in the past, we hope to see more companies take inspiration from Telenor Pakistan in creating workplace cultures that empower women to get back to work and thrive in leadership roles.”

Renowned for its progressive values, Telenor Pakistan has designed a number of initiatives over the years that offer women the tools necessary to succeed. Last year, the network also partnered with the World Bank to train more than 1,100 women entrepreneurs on design thinking skills, as a part of the Girls Learn, Women Earn initiative as it continues to inspire women taking up roles in our society that further add to the socioeconomic development of the country. In addition to upskilling that comes with the program, Telenor Pakistan further offers facilities like mental health counselling, customized learning calendars, mentorships, placement support, flexible work and Naya Aghaaz alumni connect to name a few. The organisation remains motivated towards offering women practical work opportunities and training to improve their career prospects and prepare them for the world we know today and anticipate in the future.