School will be back before we know it and at MullenLowe that means it’s Momternship season. Today, its kicking off the second year of the first-of-its-kind 10-week, paid internship program designed to equip mothers who have stepped away from their careers with the confidence, skills and support they need to re-enter the workforce.

No advertising or communications experience or resume gap explanations required.

The inaugural year was a success with more than 500 applicants in the first two weeks alone. The 2022 Momterns were unanimous in reporting that the program renewed their confidence and a majority of them are now in full-time roles.

How this year’s program is bigger and better:

• Say Hello to Our New Partners. MullenLowe are sticking with its loyal partner HeyMama, and this year, the sister creative agencies Campbell-Ewald, Carmichael Lynch, Deutsch New York, The Martin Agency, and Tierney are pitching in with exclusive lunch and learn sessions on various creative and development topics.
• Momternship+ Extension. MullenLowe offering its Momterns an additional month of mentorship, employment, and sponsorship at Campbell-Ewald, Tierney, and EP&Co.
• Sponsorship Program. MullenLowe will pair each Momtern with a senior-level executive to leverage their network and experience.
• It wouldn’t be 2.0 Without a Rebrand. MullenLowe has given its program a fresh look and feel that is kind, warm, and affectuous, just like a mom. With kid-drawn doodles as a bonus.

Many women leave work to care for their families and are too often met with obstacles or firmly shut doors when they’re ready to return. Then, the covid-19 pandemic had an outsized impact on women, making their participation in the paid labour force the lowest since the 80s. MullenLowe launched the Momternship program to centre the experiences of working mothers, addressing how they have been disproportionately impacted in the workforce and recognising the strengths they bring to any organisation.

MullenLowe’s goal remains to rally other companies and organisations to open their doors to mothers. A Momternship Toolkit, co-developed with HeyMama, can be downloaded by any company at Momternship.org.

“The launch of last year’s Momternship program helped to showcase motherhood for what it really is: an endless source of professional skills. It also showed us the critical importance of creating inclusive, empathic workplaces. We’re excited to build on our momentum with the launch of Momternship 2.0, which will bring even more value to this year’s cohort, with an increased focus on learning and development, and networking.” said Erica Samadani, Momternship co-founder and executive director, public relations.