One-of-a-kind BOLD Stipend program, which aims to upskilling employees, launched by finance app

A personal finance app - Branch International - has rolled out a one-of-a-kind BOLD Stipend program, as part of the upskilling initiative for its employees. As an employee-first company, Branch International is well aware of the importance of constantly enhancing the skills of its employees and leaders to equip them with the right skills for the future.

In these uncertain times, Branch International has decided to develop a program that enables its employees to upskill themselves and thus contribute to the individual growth of its employees. Accordingly, the company has constituted a Professional Development Budget.

BOLD Stipend is a part of this development budget, and employees can use the same to attend any job-related seminars, conferences, and training programs. In some instances, employees can even apply for reimbursement under the BOLD Stipend for certification programs or assistance in paying tuition fees.

Under this program, every employee is eligible to get INR 40,000 per calendar year. The employee can use this fund to achieve their professional development goals. The immediate manager has complete discretion to approve any requests for professional development expenses for their subordinates.

“Branch International has always invested in and promoted lifelong learning. Bold Stipend is one of the many ways through which we are promoting a culture of growth in our company. Radical reskilling is the need of the hour now, and we are encouraging all our employees to use this opportunity and enhance their skills. The core objective behind introducing initiatives such as this is to create pathways to higher-paying, more resilient careers to build a more equitable future,” said Sucheta Mahapatra, MD India, Branch Personal Finance App.

More than 70 per cent of the employees at Branch International have taken advantage of it to polish their core skills or acquire new skills, including soft skills.

Branch International has been investing in building a future-ready workforce, focusing on upskilling and retraining talent. The company has already spent over INR 10 lakhs to enable its workforce to upskill themselves and gain new capabilities.