The women leading mothers back to work
DIGITAL Mums, which launched in 2014 to get mothers job-ready with in-demand social media and digital skills, is piloting a bursary scheme for those on low incomes to take part in the training.
Founders Kathryn Tyler and Nikki Cochrane, who raised £285,000 from a consortium of investors – including David Kershaw and Jeremy Sinclair, chief executive and chairman respectively of advertising group M&C Saatchi – plan to roll out the scheme this year.
Tyler and Cochrane are not mothers themselves, but had the idea to help mums find work that fits in around family life. They both lost their fathers when they were younger and saw their mothers struggle to find rewarding work. Tyler said: ‘Too many mums are still forced into having to choose between a fulfilling career or being there for their children. Every year, 54,000 women lose their jobs due to maternity discrimination.
‘For some, staying at home is a choice, but seven in ten stay-athome mums would go back to work if there was more flexibility. And 64 per cent of mums have taken work below their skill level simply because it is flexible.’
Of the firm’s employees, 31 out of 35 are mums and most work part-time and remotely. The courses, which last about six months and involve about 20 hours’ commitment a week, cost up to £2,500 plus VAT.