In an effort to redress the gender imbalance in the technology sector, IT consultancy ThoughtWorks has launched a new scheme aimed at encouraging women to return to the industry after taking career breaks or maternity leave.

Participants are being offered the opportunity to complete two training placements at ThoughtWorks’ offices in London – the first takes place in early December and the second mid-January - while the prospect of a job at the company is also on the cards for successful candidates.

“We recognise that women who work as developers and then take a career break have tremendous value and ability that we want to help bring back into IT,” said John Galioto, UK managing director at ThoughtWorks. “The industry moves so quickly that one year out can mean many new technologies missed, deterring many women from returning. We’re offering an intensive training course to bridge that gap.”

Although the course is free, applicants must fulfil certain criteria, including having some development experience and passing ability tests. The training will cover programming, software development tools and team working.

The scheme is sponsored by non-profit body Equalitec, which promotes IT careers to women, and is backed by networking group womenintechnology.co.uk.

Maggie Berry, director of womenintechnology.co.uk, said, “By focusing on this massive untapped resource, ThoughtWorks is helping to highlight just how rewarding a career in IT can be for women who’ve stepped out of the industry.”

Details of how to apply can be found on the ThoughtWorks web site. ThoughtWorks hopes to attract 12 participants to this pilot phase.