Mothers’ Career Coaching Experiment

The aim of the Mother's Career Coaching Experiment is to find out, if mothers on prolonged parental leave can be encouraged to participate in training and employment through individual coaching.

The experiment consists of two parts: individual coaching and scientific research.

SECLE procured the service providers offering the coaching at the end of 2025. The career coaching will start in 2026.

The target group of the experiment consists of adults outside of the labour market, who make up one of SECLE's statutory target groups. People outside of the labour market can be defined here by people, who are neither employed, or unemployed. For instance parents on parental leave are persons outside of the labour market. People, who participate less in training than others constitute an especially important target group for SECLE. 

The experiment offers individual coaching to mothers taking care of their children at home. During the coaching, they can search for a job or a student place, update their resume, and practice for job interviews together with a coach.

The Social Insurance Institution of Finland, Kela, sends an invitation to participate in the study and plausible coaching to mothers belonging to the target group.

Participation in coaching is extended to mothers, who 

• live in one of the following municipalities:
  • The Helsinki capital region: Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Kauniainen, Sipoo, Kerava, Tuusula, Kirkkonummi and Nurmijärvi
  • The Tampere region: Tampere, Ylöjärvi, Nokia, Pirkkala, Lempäälä, Kangasala, Orivesi, Juupajoki, Ruovesi, Akaa and Vesilahti
  • The Turku region: Turku, Kaarina, Lieto, Masku, Naantali, Raisio, Rusko, Paimio and Aura
  • The Oulu region: Oulu, Ii, Kempele, Liminka, Lumijoki, Muhos and Tyrnävä
• have taken care of their child on Kela’s child home care allowance for a minimum of six months and
• have neither a job or a student place to return to after their parental leave. 

Mothers interested in the study fill in a contact form. The coaching company and mothers agree on how a preliminary enquiry and an agreement form will be completed. After this step, lots will be drawn for mothers who get to participate in the coaching.

The coaching is voluntary and free of charge for the mothers. The coaching lasts for a maximum of six months. The coaching does not affect benefits or allowances paid to the mothers.

At least 500 mothers are expected to participate in the coaching in a randomised experiment group. 

The study will be carried out as a randomised experiment with the target group consisting of persons on prolonged child home care allowance. Mothers, who have given their consent to participate in the study, will be randomly assigned to an experiment and control group after completing the preliminary enquiry. Mothers assigned to the experiment group will participate in individual coaching, whereas other mothers will be assigned to the control group. The study consists of a preliminary and final enquiry, as well as a follow-up study based on statistic registers.

The aim of the study is to find out, if individual career counselling can accelerate the return of mothers on prolonged parental leave to seek employment or training. 

mothers on prolonged parental leave can be encouraged to participate in training and employment through individual coaching.

According to earlier research, motherhood leads to a decline in women's earnings and employment in comparison to the rest of the population. The long-term effect in Finland has been estimated at 25% less in earnings and 17% less in presence on the labour market ten years after childbirth (so-called 'motherhood penalty').

This study will produce new information on what kind of methods the public sector could make use of in cost-efficiently supporting mothers in returning to the labour market.

SECLE procures the experiment's service providers, who in their turn carry out the coaching for mothers. 

The research study is conducted by Kela and The Labour Institute for Economic Research Labore. Kela and Labore participate in the planning and evaluation of the experiment together with SECLE.

Researchers

• Miska Simanainen, responsible researcher, Kela
• Anneli Miettinen, Kela
• Hannu Karhunen, Labore
• Lauro Carnicelli, Labore

The page has been updated on the 18th of August 2026.