The Implementation of an Employment Promotion Program Through the Professional Training of Women With Young Children in Moscow

Abstract

Irina Kalabikhina – Doctor of Science in Economics, Professor, Head, Population Department, Faculty of Economics, Lomonosov Moscow State University. Address: bldg. 46, Leninskie Gory, GSP-1, Moscow, 119991, Russian Federation. E-mail: ikalabikhina@yandex.ru

Svetlana Biryukova – PhD in Economics, Leading Researcher, Institute for Social Policy, National Research University “Higher School of Economics”. Address: 4/2, Slavyanskaya Sq., Moscow, 109074, Russian Federation. E-mail: sbiryukova@hse.ru

Alla Makarentseva – PhD in Economics, Head, Demographic and Migration Studies Laboratory, Institute for Social Analysis and Forecasting, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration. Address: 11, Prechistenskaya Emb., Moscow, 119034, Russian Federation. E-mail: makarentseva-ao@ranepa.ru

Citation: Kalabikhina I., Biryukova S., Makarentseva A. (2018) The Implementation of an Employment Promotion Program Through the Professional Training of Women With Young Children in Moscow. Mir Rossii, vol. 27, no 2, pp. 136–162 (in Russian). DOI: 10.17323/1811-038X-2018-27-2-136-162

This study evaluates an employment promotion program for mothers with children under age 3 based on professional training provision in Moscow, Russia. First, the authors assess the program based on existing theoretical approaches and international experience. The authors conclude that professional training programs are one of the basic elements of active employment policies. However, such programs are insufficient for parents with small children if not complemented by cooperation with employers and the development of childcare services. Second, the authors characterize the scope and the clientele of current maternal employment programs in Moscow. Using statistics from the Moscow employment service,
they demonstrate that the demand for the program gradually increased 2013–2016. Finally, the paper contains an overview of the current constraints to the successful implementation of the program, and desired changes to its format based on evidence from a qualitative survey with the program’s potential clients conducted by the authors. The analysis of indepth interviews reveals a specific demand for courses on basic and advanced computer skills, and a few highly specialized training programs. The primary aim of such training for mothers is gaining a competitive advantage in the labor market in the area of their expertise or improving their curriculum vitae. Requests for a complete change of occupation or obtaining
completely new qualifications are rare. In the concluding part, the authors summarize the results and discuss the prospects of current employment stimulation programs for mothers.