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According to the AMP Natsem Income and Wealth Report (Issue 18, December 2007) entitled “Honey I Calculated the kids….”, the average Australian family spends $537,000 on raising two children from birth to 21 years of age.
It is clear also that mums are returning to the workforce in droves, whether through choice to continue their careers or through necessity to supplement the family income.
In fact, the Australian Federation of Business and Professional Women reports that as many as 36% of mothers return to the workforce before their baby has turned one, while 54% are working by the time their child turns two. And as Kate Sykes, founder of Career Mums (Australia’s first specialist job board, career and candidate board for skilled parents), points out, “There are all types of employment available in Australia. Mums are valuable in the workforce; they are diligent, can multi task; they are focused and have unique life experience. It’s a winning formula!”
Ms Sykes encourages women to identify both their needs and the needs of their family when choosing a job. “A job should suit a mum’s lifestyle and she should work closely with potential employers to reach mutual agreements. Positive engagement between the employer and employee benefits both parties and makes for a successful working relationship.”
Kate Sykes is one of the experts hosting the Working Mums Club events in Westfield’s new We Are Family Campaign. The event is designed to provide expert advice and helpful tactics for mums who want to enter the workforce and for mums already in the workforce who are keen to maximize their talents and expertise.
Between June 16 and August 10, We Are Family will host approximately 160 free, interactive events on a diverse range of topics at 32 Westfield centres across the nation for mums to learn, share and meet other mums in the community.
To help mums navigate their busy lives, over 1.3 million free Westfield We Are Family local guides will be available with helpful hints from other Mums, expert advice and quick access to community information. For more details, enquire at your local Westfield centre or check out the new We Are Family website to be part of the family!
AAP