Supporting educational and professional inclusion of mothers in the new era of trainings and labor market provided in Europe (online, hydrid, f2f)

<< Background >>We applied for the Mothers Looking Ahead project because mothers across Europe face common challenges in accessing education, training, and the labour market. They are underrepresented in entrepreneurship, have lower employment rates than women without children, and often struggle to re-enter education, gain new qualifications, and balance work and family life.Our partnership needed to develop a European initiative to:- enhance the educational and professional integration of mothers,- empower them with confidence, self-esteem, and economic independence,- provide innovative training resources and digital learning tailored to their needs,- create networking and mentoring opportunities to reduce stereotypes and support career growth,- strengthen adult trainers, tutors, and career coaches to better guide mothers.The project addressed these needs in a sustainable way, combining research, curriculum development, digital tools, mentoring, and wide dissemination.<< Objectives >>Through the Mothers Looking Ahead project we wanted to improve the educational and professional inclusion of mothers in Europe by creating sustainable learning and mentoring opportunities. Our goal was to design a motivational programme and training curriculum that empower mothers with confidence, digital and soft skills, and better access to the labour market. We aimed to provide innovative tools such as an e-learning platform, OERs, and mentoring forums, while also fostering networks and role models to reduce stereotypes. At the same time, we wanted to strengthen adult trainers and career coaches with new methods and resources to support mothers effectively. Ultimately, the project sought to increase mothers’ employability, economic independence, and quality of life, while promoting equity and inclusion at European level.<< Implementation >>The Mothers Looking Ahead project was structured around five main work packages:WP1 – Project Management: Establishment of a Management and Quality Assurance Plan, monthly online meetings, transnational meetings, and continuous financial and risk monitoring.WP2 – Research and Framework Development: Desk and field research with 50 in-depth interviews and 75 questionnaires, analysis of mothers’ needs, and creation of a Framework for the motivational programme.WP3 – Training Curriculum: Design of a modular curriculum, development of high-quality OERs, creation of an e-learning MOOC platform, user testing with mothers, and translation/dissemination of results.WP4 – Transnational Mentoring Forums: Organisation of 5 forums across partner countries, personalised mentoring sessions, feedback collection, and publication of the Mothers Looking Ahead Factsheet.WP5 – Dissemination and Exploitation: Development of branding and promotional materials, creation of project website and social media channels, regular newsletters and posts, building a stakeholder list, and organisation of multiplier/promotional events with 180 participants.These activities delivered resources, mentoring, and dissemination to support mothers’ inclusion.<< Results >>The Mothers Looking Ahead project produced several key outputs:A Framework for the motivational programme supporting mothers’ educational and professional inclusion (WP2).A modular training curriculum covering career orientation, empowerment, digital skills, soft skills, and job preparation (WP3).A set of Open Educational Resources (OERs) available on a dedicated MOOC e-learning platform (WP3).User testing reports with feedback from more than 50 participating mothers (WP3).Five transnational mentoring forums engaging mothers, trainers, and youth organisations, accompanied by the publication of the Mothers Looking Ahead Factsheet (WP4).Dissemination tools including a project website, social media accounts, newsletters, stakeholder lists, and five multiplier events with 180 participants (WP5).Other important results included strengthened cooperation between partner organisations, increased awareness among stakeholders, and enhanced skills and confidence among mothers, leading to better employability and inclusion.