Once you become a mother, it’s easy to get caught up in caring for your child and fall behind your colleagues who, at this time, continue to improve in their profession. To prevent returning to work from seeming painful, you can use maternity leave to obtain additional education or “reboot” your own career.

For career and depression

Family psychologist and Gestalt therapist Anna Devyatka believes that education received during maternity leave is not only an auxiliary impetus for a career, but also a remedy for depression.

“The problem of maternity leave is information hunger, which replaces the working rhythm and a busy schedule. At first, the mother takes care of the child almost around the clock, but over time the son or daughter grows, and more and more time is freed up. At the same time, the woman is busy with “useful” things - washing, ironing, cleaning the apartment, and life slowly turns into a routine. Depression and thoughts creep in: did she really want this kind of life and can she devote at least part of her time to herself, do what she likes? The idea to engage in self-development, advanced training and development of professional skills during maternity leave is very successful,” says Anna Devyatka.

During maternity leave, a woman has the opportunity to think about her career: what skills can be improved, whether it is worth changing her profession. The answers to these questions will help you understand what exactly is worth learning.

New profession for free

For help with career guidance, you can contact the employment center of your city. They will also help those who decide to improve their skills or change their specialty. Contrary to popular belief, they accept not only the unemployed. Special work is carried out with women who are on maternity leave: they are offered free advanced training courses or a change of profession under a retraining program. The list of specialties that can be taught is extensive and differs in different employment centers. For example, you can master the profession of an accountant, tailor, manicurist, hairdresser, cook, estimator, translator or designer.

Nadezhda is the mother of two sons. While on maternity leave for the second time, she completed courses in the direction of the employment center, specializing in a universal hairdresser. The training took 4 months.

“Before maternity leave, I worked as a cashier. Right now I’m still at home, but I hope to change the direction of my activity after returning from vacation. It wasn’t difficult to get into the group: I called the employment service and asked if there were places. I collected the necessary documents, concluded an agreement with the employment service that I was undergoing training, and they would pay for it. And a week later classes began. There was only one surprise - I had to buy tools for a total of about 10,000 rubles,” says Nadezhda.

To receive a referral for training, you should contact the employment center at your place of registration. You can get an education at any educational institution that cooperates with the Center for Education. A list of specific courses and training programs can be found in the employment center itself or on its website. If a suitable place of study is found only in a neighboring locality, they will also help pay for the trip.

Once you have decided, you need to collect the following documents:

Application (a sample can be obtained from the employment center),

Passport or equivalent document,

Birth certificate of the child or children,

A document related to work and confirming that you are on maternity leave (work book or a copy thereof certified at work, and a certificate stating that the mother is indeed on maternity leave).

After checking the documents, the schedule and duration of classes are determined, and a vocational training agreement is concluded between the employment center, the educational institution and the program participant. The duration of such courses is no more than 6 months, you can study in a group or individually, during the day or in the evenings. You can complete the training once during your maternity leave (three years).

Nadezhda notes that the hairdressing courses were organized so that mothers had time to master not only theory, but also practice.

“The training took place 4 days a week, 4–5 hours a day. There were two shifts: from 9 to 13 or from 14 to 18. So everyone chose a convenient schedule for themselves. For the first 2-3 weeks there was only theory, then practical classes began. Clients are people who are ready to entrust their hair to students, for which we thank them very much! Everything was free for them, except for the materials they spent (shampoos, dyes, care products). By the way, there were a lot of people who wanted to get free hair care. During the work we were supervised by the master. At the end of the training we passed an exam in theory and practice. It was interesting, I didn’t want to leave. Would I recommend it to my friends? Certainly!"

The disadvantages of this type of training are that you cannot independently choose a specific specialty - options are selected at the employment center, although focusing on the needs and qualifications of the woman, as well as the demand for the profession in the labor market. The list of courses may not include the specialty you are interested in, or it may turn out that enrollment for it is closed, and the next one will not be coming soon. And most importantly, such training is impossible if there is absolutely no one to leave the child with.

Without leaving home

What if there is no one to trust to take care of the baby during classes? The obvious solution in this case is online courses, of which there are many on the Internet.

One of the most famous sites offering to master the programs of famous universities in the world without leaving home - Coursera. You can study here for free. If you absolutely need to receive a certificate of completion of the course, you will have to pay, but even in this case, you have the opportunity to ask the portal for “financial assistance” by filling out the application form on the website. Many courses are conducted in English and are suitable for those who already speak English well.

Russian brother of a popular online university - Universarium. The courses are free, but you will also have to pay for a certificate, webinar or personal consultation with a teacher.

edX is a non-profit project of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Again, suitable for English speakers. Obtaining a personalized certificate requires donations (the student decides how much he is willing to give), however, you can choose the option of free training and receiving a certificate without indicating the name of the owner with the ability to check his data on the website. They offer a huge number of courses and programs in a variety of areas.

A variety of courses in Russian or with Russian subtitles are offered by Postnauka, Arzamas, Netology, Lectorium, TED. The list of free services does not include practical classes or certificates, but you can turn on a video recording of the lecture and watch it even with a child in your arms.

The main disadvantage of online courses is the temptation to forever put off mastering them until later. To prevent this from happening, it is important to remember the goal.

“A clearly understood motive and understanding of the preferences that education will provide helps to complete training. For example, by studying an online course in accounting, a woman understands that she is investing time, effort, money, and for her efforts she will eventually receive a certificate of completion and an advantage on her resume. Understanding your goal helps you plan your schedule and allocate time for learning. It’s good to choose different times for studying at first and test when it is more convenient and easier to perceive information. Having a clear goal also helps you prioritize and engage in learning more easily, even at home. Think about what tasks can wait - the endless ironing and cleaning, for example - and do things that are an investment in your and your child's future. Education affects the earnings and general standard of living of the entire family, and that is why it is the best investment in yourself,” says Anna Devyatka.

Not only government agencies pay special attention to women’s education. For those who are ready to invest in themselves, there are paid programs that offer women to study in conditions that are comfortable for them - professional courses for girls. The subjects of such courses are themselves gender neutral - for example, screenwriting or coding. Interface developer Vasilika Klimova became a teacher of a coding course for girls, noticing that most of her colleagues were men.

“Two years ago I started teaching courses on web fundamentals. The organizers noticed that I had more girls studying than other teachers - in one stream it was almost 50 to 50. And we decided to hold a special course for girls, at the same time adopting the experience of other countries where courses and meetups for girls have long been common. There is a stereotype: technical professions are more for guys. To make girls more comfortable in learning completely new disciplines, we create our own lamp atmosphere. Agree that some people may find it annoying to spend 5 years studying at university among only guys. But now in Russia this is almost the case. In the specialty where I studied, there were 4 girls for 50 boys. A unique approach in a group for girls is not needed. The main thing that needs to be conveyed is: if you want, you will achieve everything. It doesn’t matter in what area,” says Vasilika Klimova.

Teachers and students are sure: women are indeed more comfortable acquiring new knowledge in each other’s company. A psychologist confirms this.

“In my opinion, there are no strong differences between male and female education,” comments Anna Devyatka. - The words “for girls” are more of a marketing ploy, giving women additional psychological support, the confidence that they can handle even such difficult things as coding, because the course is just for them. There are also special courses that are designed for women on maternity leave, balanced in terms of workload and designed so that a young mother can manage both the child and advanced training.”

In addition to the fact that you will have to pay for courses for women, they also have a potential weak point: after studying in the comfortable company of other girls, you will still have to work in the real world and, in particular, with men.

Whatever format of education a woman chooses, it is important to take into account her own capabilities: age and health, the needs of the child, the availability of outside help, and also understand why she should invest time and energy in education, and how it will be useful in the future. Then science will definitely be useful.

Hello, my dear readers! You know, my friend went on maternity leave, and at the same time went to study. I decided to discuss this important topic - training! I think each of you has friends who continue to study, although they are on maternity leave. Yes, this is nothing new, even our grandmothers often said that children do not interfere with their studies!

However, the period of maternity leave does not always fall at the time of studying at a higher institution. More often than not, young mothers have already received their vocational education diplomas at the time of giving birth. Then the question is - what to do on maternity leave? And is there any point and opportunity to go to school if you have a child, but, say, no funds to acquire new skills? Let's find out!

Any young mother who is raising her child and is on maternity leave (on maternity leave) can go to study. But there are several nuances here:

• Basically, training is carried out in Moscow (perhaps there are such courses in other localities, this needs to be clarified separately);
• A young mother can go to school if her baby is less than three years old;
• the young mother is not (or is, but is on maternity or child care leave) in an employment relationship with the employer.

2. Where to go for free education

Of course, in order to get the opportunity to study for free, you need to make an effort.

The first thing to do is contact the appropriate place.

So, a referral for training can be obtained by contacting the vocational training, career guidance and psychological support departments of the employment center.

3. What you need to apply for free training

There are not many conditions:

• you need to contact the center and write an application to take free courses;
• your child must be under three years old;
• You can undergo training only once during the entire period of maternity leave (for three years);
• you do not work part-time (neither at home nor outside the home);
• You have collected a complete package of documents necessary to submit an application (passport, birth certificate of your baby, a certificate stating that you are actually on maternity leave, as well as an application for taking free courses).

4. Where and how the training will take place

When applying for free courses at the employment center, it is important to know that you have the right to improve your qualifications, learn a new profession (in an accelerated mode) or improve the knowledge you previously acquired (in your specialty).

You can also choose a training schedule that suits you. Usually this is full-time or part-time study. It will last no more than 6 months.

Typically, courses are conducted at universities at state expense. Note: you can also be sent to study in the region. There is nothing terrible about this: travel (and accommodation, if required) will be compensated for you, although it will take much more time.

5. What the employment center offers

When you apply for free training, also do not forget to indicate which direction you are interested in. I'm talking about professional disciplines.

Typically, the employment center offers the following disciplines for you to choose from:

• accounting;
• office specialization;
• training on a range of services;
• trading business;
• other professions.

If you have always dreamed of taking a chef course, find out about such a profile at the employment center. Perhaps you will now take the first step towards your dream.

By the way, you may be denied access to free courses. This occurs if you provided inaccurate data or did not comply with the terms of the contract.

Are you unhappy with studying away from home? Then you can turn to the Internet for help. The World Wide Web offers a huge number of free online courses. I propose to talk about this in a little more detail.

6. Free online courses

Not every young mother has a grandmother as a backup. Just like the average woman has no opportunity to hire a nanny. But if you have a desire to learn, I suggest turning to the Internet.

By the way, even here there is quite a large selection. Let's look at a few options:

1. Universarium.org. Great site for homeschooling. There are over 70 lessons that were created by the best teachers from leading universities. It is possible to watch video lessons, there are group classes, homework is provided, and there is a final assessment.
2. Intuit.ru. Also an excellent place to obtain higher education, retraining or advanced training. However, the full course may cost you money. On the other hand, there are a lot of free programs here. The disciplines include both mathematical and humanitarian areas.
3. Lektorium.tv/medialibrary. This site has a huge number of lectures and conferences. The choice of disciplines is impressive, however, it is worth considering that this platform is more aimed at improving skills and involves deepening into previously studied disciplines.
4. Coursera.org. A wonderful place for mothers on maternity leave. There are a sufficient number of free courses here. Moreover, in addition to the knowledge acquired, you may well qualify for a certificate.
5. Netology-group.ru. This site is not the best among free online learning platforms. Moreover, to get full access to all the features of the site, you need to buy a paid account. Don’t despair, you can listen to webinars and take an active part in group conferences without any investment.
6. Yandexdataschool.ru/edu-process/courses. Are you interested in IT areas? Then this site is for you. Here you can gain free knowledge in the following specialties: data analysis, computer science, and so on. The purpose of these courses is to train specialists for Yandex.
7. workle.com. This site is an online platform for remote work. You can receive free training before starting work. Areas of activity: insurance, tourism (selection and booking of tours, tickets, hotels and excursions), banking, work in a call center, etc.

In any case, if you wish, you can find a lot of opportunities for free training and diversify the everyday days of a housewife.

Studying while on maternity leave is doubly useful. Firstly, you will be able to master a new specialty or deepen your knowledge in an existing one, thanks to training for mothers on maternity leave, and secondly, you will not let your brain relax too much.

Training for mothers on maternity leave: where to start and where to go?

If you already have a higher education, during maternity leave to care for a child you will be able to improve your skills or learn a new profession if your previous job did not suit you in some way. At the same time, the necessary courses can be completed both remotely and offline.

Training for mothers on maternity leave is organized en masse by the Employment Center, which you belong to at your place of registration. As a rule, this government agency offers mothers to master such professions as are in demand on the labor market, such as an accountant, a trade specialist, a hairdresser, a makeup artist, a manicurist, a seamstress, a clerk, a computer designer and some others.

In this case, training will be organized for you completely free of charge. The main thing is to decide on the specialty you are interested in and contact the Employment Center with the following documents: an application in the established form, a passport and its photocopy, a child’s birth certificate, an official confirmation from your place of work that you are on maternity leave to care for your baby.

The training itself will take place at various universities and other educational institutions collaborating with your Employment Center. Your class schedule will be determined on an individual basis.

If you do not have the opportunity to leave your child with someone, pay attention to distance courses on the Internet, which can be taken both for a fee and for free. Again, first decide what new activity you would like to turn into a source of income, and then search the Internet for suitable courses.

At home, by the way, it is very comfortable to study for another reason that you do it at any time convenient for you.

Training for mothers on maternity leave: my experience

When I first went on maternity leave, I already had a rough idea of ​​what I would like to do. Firstly, I was attracted to creating my own content website, and secondly, I wanted to master financial consulting.

In December 2015, I attended a face-to-face intensive course by the famous finance expert and head of the Center for Financial Culture, Roman Argashokov, and a couple of days after the seminar, I applied to take the distance course “Independent Financial Advisor,” organized by the Institute of Financial Planning.

In just a couple of months, I successfully completed this course, although it was designed for a year, defended my final thesis and received a certificate (document number in the All-Russian Register of Advisors: 15/NFS/235). Now I draw up a personal financial plan for my clients, an investment portfolio in accordance with their risk profile, analyze and optimize their expenses and income, help clients decide on the most optimal loan program for them, and also give recommendations on tax optimization.

In addition, while on maternity leave to care for a child, I also took an online course on creating a website on WordPress and SEO content optimization. Thanks to this, the project “The Art of Being Happy on Maternity Day!” was born.

I would like to note that if you really strive to develop, you can always find time to study for mothers on maternity leave. Have you already mastered some new profession while caring for your baby? If yes, be sure to write about it in the comments to this article! Let other mothers be inspired by our achievements too!

Employment centers provide free courses for mothers with children under three years of age. Elena Rumyantseva checked how women are greeted and what they teach there.

I have two children, and I have been on maternity leave for five years now. This means that at times I became a Satan from Groundhog Day, diapers, endless pumpkin puree, but at the same time I did not lose the ability to think, resolve processes and dream of applying my energy somewhere else besides the playground. Probably, like any mother on maternity leave, I am afraid that over these few years I have fallen a little behind in terms of some of the professional skills that are required today. By profession I am a manager, before maternity leave I worked as an auditor, but having small children, I want to spend more time with them without losing the opportunity to work on a free schedule, preferably from home. So when I came across information that I was eligible for free courses for mothers, I immediately decided to try it.

“Only it seems to me that this is the same crap as with free medicines in residential complexes and children’s clinics... in fact, everything is there... but when you start demanding... immediately everything goes somewhere and there is nothing.” - write on the forum of young mothers. I sat down to look for information. I went to the official website of the Moscow Department of Labor and Employment (http://trud.mos.ru/), but I had even more questions than answers.

The website has a tab “areas of activity/vocational training”, where it is said in boring official language about who has the right to education and what is needed for this. However, there is neither a list of specialties in which one can study, nor at least an approximate list of educational institutions. I became interested in what schedule women study on, how much they need to study in general - the wording “full-time or part-time courses” does not give the full picture. Is it really free and is it possible to retrain for a completely different specialty?

I called the employment center of my district - Vykhino-Zhulebino. I got through the first time, but polite voices transferred me to different people for a while, until finally, after 5 minutes, one of the specialists from the vocational training department agreed to talk to me.

When they handed her the telephone receiver, I caught a heavy sigh and an irritated “they couldn’t call at any other time.” It turned out that my call coincided with the preparation of the quarterly report. Officials issued 100 referrals to courses - this is the average number of requests in our area for one year. I asked how information about the courses was being disseminated, if I had not seen any of the promised leaflets either in the kindergarten, or in the dairy kitchen, or in the antenatal clinic. But in the district employment center there was an advertisement on the notice board.

A Muscovite on maternity leave can sign up for courses, even if during this period she was fired or temporarily does not work at all.

Having a management degree and experience in accounting, I asked if I could retrain, say, as a hairdresser. Nowadays, the education of a manager does not surprise anyone, and the ability to cut a good haircut can be useful to a mother, at least for doing hairstyles for her household. An employee of the vocational training department was surprised and advised me to choose to improve my knowledge in the field of accounting, 1C, study computer layout, web design, or study the ethics of business communication, citing the fact that they now send only women who have completed 9-11 grades to hairdressing courses secondary school.

She immediately named the most popular areas of retraining: accounting and auditing, personnel management (personnel records management). I wondered whether it was possible to get a quality education in a short period of time and whether it was possible to retrain into a worthy specialist during this time. An employee of the department brought me down to earth: no one retrains from a lawyer to a doctor.

What documents are needed?