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    • Diversity is a fact, inclusion is a choice

    In the current context of global mobility, we live in a very diverse society. So it is necessary to ensure that our society today is inclusive enough for everyone to find their place and actively contribute and benefit collectively from the benefits of this diversity.

    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 the Netherlands.
    • In the Netherlands people over 50 years old face a lack of appreciation of their skills and experience.

    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+ mentors and to combat discrimination by creating social cohesion, mutual understanding and local solidarity.

    Our mission

    DUO for a JOB organises intergenerational and intercultural mentoring to facilitate access to the job market for young jobseekers while recognizing the value of the experience of people older than 50.

    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 him/her to develop skills and autonomy and to enable him/her to identify and achieve professional objectives. This relationship (“the duo”) is based on mutual exchange and permanent and reciprocal trust.

    Once paired, the mentee and his or her mentor meet for two hours a week for a period of 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 of qualitative and effective support based on eight main steps.

    1. 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. After this meeting both the mentor and the mentee will decide independently whether they want to work together or not.

    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, the duo is 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