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PepsiCo Beverages North America is expanding its U.S. returnship program for women who have taken time off work for caregiving.

The program offers 16-week internships for 15 positions — up from 12 last year — and is available to women professionals with a minimum of five years of work experience who have taken at least two years off for caregiving. The positions are located in Atlanta, Nashville, Orlando, Tampa and Washington D.C.

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The program provides employees with professional development workshops, feedback sessions, networking opportunities and mentorship support. Upon completion of the program, successful participants can receive full-time job offers. According to a press release, 80 per cent of the program’s 2022 participants accepted full-time positions after an average of seven years away from the workforce.

“Programs like these are vital to increasing representation in the workplace and prove that talented women are often hidden in plain sight,” said Heather Hoytink, president of the south division at PepsiCo, in the release. “We’re thrilled to be expanding the program to additional markets and positions in the south to enhance our pipeline of future leaders by tapping into a diverse [and] motivated, yet overlooked talent pool.”

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