Diversity is a fact, inclusion is a choice

Our vision

DUO for a JOB was born from a double observation:

There is a proven inequality of access to the labour market for young people with a migrant background in Belgium.
People over 50 years of age in Belgium have one of the lowest employment rates in Europe and face a lack of appreciation of their skills.

By bringing these two groups together, DUO for a JOB aims to help eliminate inequalities in access to the labour market for young people with a migrant background, to recognise the knowledge of our 50+, and to combat discrimination by recreating social cohesion, understanding and local solidarity.

Our mission

DUO for a JOB organises intergenerational and intercultural mentoring to facilitate access to the job market for the youngest job-seekers while recognizing the value of the over fifties’ experience.

Practically this means a relationship where an experienced person, “the mentor”, shares their knowledge and expertise with a young person, “the mentee”, in order to allow them to develop their skills and autonomy, and to enable them to identify and achieve professional objectives. This relationship (“the duo”) is based on exchanging, learning and permanent and reciprocal trust.

Once paired, the young person and his or her mentor meet for two hours a week for six months.

I want to become a mentor I want the help of a mentor

“WITH DUO AND MY MENTOR, I MANAGED TO BELIEVE IN MYSELF AND STARTED DOING THINGS INSTEAD OF THINKING HOW DIFFICULT IT IS. MY MENTOR’S PROFESSIONAL ADVICE HAS WORKED WONDERS.”

ANTON, MENTEE AT DUO

Our methodology

The key to the success of DUO for a JOB’s mentoring program lies in the implementation of a methodology and qualitative and effective support based on eight main steps.

1. Group information sessions are an opportunity to present the project, to clarify the roles of each and to answer any possible questions.

2. If interest in the project prevails, future mentors / mentees then meet an association coordinator in order to learn more about their experience and expectations.

3. New mentors follow an initial training course to provide them with a basic tool kit on the do’s and don’ts of being a mentor.

4. On the basis of different criteria (sector of activity, languages spoken, personality, availability, etc.), and taking into account all respective needs and skills, the coordinators constitute the new duos: this is the matching session.

5. The first meeting is an opportunity for everyone to get to know each other and to validate or not the match selection carried out by the team.

6. If the mentee and the mentor confirm that they want to continue together, a second meeting is organised to sign the mentoring agreement that clarifies the framework and the commitments of each party, and “officially” marks the beginning of the support period.

7. The accompaniment period, during which the pairs will meet once a week, lasts a maximum of six months. Each duo is supervised by a coordinator from the association.

8. At the end of the 6-month period, participants are invited to assess whether the programme has met their expectations and whether the objectives they set themselves have been achieved

“MENTORING IS A WIN-WIN RELATIONSHIP, IN WHICH THE MENTOR ALSO LEARNS A LOT. MENTORING AT DUO ADDS THE DIMENSION OF AN INTRODUCTION TO THE ISSUE OF YOUNG MIGRANTS AND THEIR SPECIFIC DIFFICULTIES IN ACCESSING TO EMPLOYMENT.”

YVES, MENTOR AT DUO