Groundbreaking Women's Work Initiative Launches in Atlanta

ATLANTA, Aug. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mom Project, the leading digital marketplace committed to helping women remain active in the workforce, announced today that Atlanta is the first city in a new national program, the Women's Work Initiative™ (WWI), that connects leading local corporations with diverse and experienced talent: women returning to work.

The Atlanta Women's Work Initiative (AWWI), a public-private venture, will connect 50 local women returning to work with Atlanta's leading employers. The first-of-its-kind program will create opportunities for Atlanta women returning to careers in technology and business and serve as a model for cities across the country also interested in improving female workforce participation and economic growth.

The program will identify women ready to re-enter the workforce and connect them with opportunities that range from six month projects to permanent positions aligned with the hiring needs of participating employers.

Already, companies are signaling they want to be a part of this effort. AWWI business partners include many of Atlanta's largest employers including Georgia-Pacific, Invesco, AT&T Prepaid Portfolio (which includes Cricket Wireless), and Voya Financial. These enterprises are leaders in women's workforce development, with strong public commitments to diversity and inclusion. In addition to these launch partners, AWWI expects to see additional major global corporations with roots in Atlanta joining the program as it gets underway this fall. As the home to 26 Fortune 1,000 companies, Atlanta is poised to lead the way in improving the workplace for working families.

"The AWWI embodies the inclusive spirit of our vision for One Atlanta, a world-class city where no one is left behind," said Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, referring to the recently-created Mayor's Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. "As a working mom myself, I am grateful for the great companies that understand the critical need for equity in employment, especially for those women who are re-entering the workplace. The Mom Project understands the value of the hardest job there is: raising our children."

Gender equality and female participation in the workforce is an economic boon for America's cities. In Atlanta, advancing gender equality is worth approximately $41 billion in gross domestic product, with $14 billion attributable to women's workforce participation, according to research by the McKinsey Global Institute.

Here is what partners are saying:

"Female participation in the workforce provides a tremendous economic benefit not just for cities, but for the companies in which these women work and lead," said Martin L. Flanagan, President, CEO and Director of Invesco. "We're pleased to join other employers in the city and The Mom Project in supporting women who want to return to work, where their contributions will continue to make Atlanta one of the best cities in which to pursue a career, raise a family and grow a business."

"Through this joint effort led by The Mom Project, we can collectively affect greater change by expanding opportunities for working mothers," said Christian Fischer, CEO and president of Georgia-Pacific. "This is vital to attracting and retaining top female talent. Georgia-Pacific is proud to support The Atlanta Women's Work Initiative in identifying what matters most to women returning to work so positive strides are made in workforce participation."

"It's critical to the growth of any business and community that women are at the table to contribute their valuable perspectives, knowledge and skills," said John Dwyer, president, AT&T Prepaid Portfolio. "We're proud to support The Mom Project and to help moms come back into our workforce with the other extraordinary women already at Cricket Wireless."

"Voya Investment Management is proud to partner with the Mom Project.  We put a lot of effort into creating a diverse culture.  That comes, in part, by hiring people with a broad range of experiences and backgrounds.  As a working mother myself, I'm very happy Voya can provide talented, highly-skilled women with the opportunity to return to the workforce," said Christine Hurtsellers, CEO, Voya Investment Management.

The groundbreaking initiative is designed and managed by The Mom Project and its sponsor, Atlanta-based Engage Ventures, with support from the Atlanta Committee for Progress. WWI will be the most ambitious program of its kind, helping new parents re-enter or pivot in their careers by creating a roadmap for leading companies and cities to collaborate on the shared goal of retaining and increasing female workforce participation.

Additional corporate partners are still being accepted for the initiative. Please contact CEO of The Mom Project, Allison Robinson, at [email protected]. If you are a professional looking to re-enter the workplace and are interested in participating in the program, please visit https://learn.themomproject.com/awwi/ to learn more.

The Mom Project is a digital talent marketplace that connects talented women with world class employers that respect work and life integration. With a community of over 50,000 talented professionals and more than 1,000 businesses, including 30 Fortune 1,000 companies, The Mom Project is committed to building a better workplace for women. 

SOURCE The Mom Project

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