Barriers and opportunities for the labour market reintegration of mothers with young children from a counsellor's perspective

Abstract

The family is the key to sustainability, and its preservation is everyone's concern. Hungarian society is perceived as basically family- and child-centred. The purpose of our study is to develop a mutually beneficial, forward-looking and long-term solution that emphasizes the multiple decision-making responsibilities of young mothers and is based on the identification and awareness of their basic abilities that we have analysed. The aim of this article is to demonstrate that self-confidence and key competences are determining factors in labor market reintegration and job retention. The majority of the employees with young children interviewed were not fully aware of their own key competences, but their self-confidence was strengthened by getting to know them. The survey was conducted using three different methods: a personal interview, a questionnaire and a structured group interview. A total of 700 mothers with young children under 6 years old participated in the survey. Our study showed that mothers are trying to get re-enter the labour market, which is not easy for them for several reasons. Employers play a critical role in ensuring that workers with young children are able to retain their employment. If the period of childbearing can be planned and incorporated into the life of a company, it does not become an impenetrable wall between employer and employee. Over time, the feeling that the other side of the wall becomes more and more unknown to both parties disappears. It is critical that they be offered opportunities that are appropriate for their professional path. Our innovative approach is to utilize career guidance as a tool to give assistance that, in addition to positive workplace discrimination, may guarantee that they have the proper working conditions and prospects for the future that are sustainable in the long-term. Future research should focus on mapping the needs of both employees and employers as accurately as possible. This could be the basis for a complex reintegration and job retention programme for workers with young children, which is well integrated into the daily life of companies.