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  • 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.

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    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.

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    “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. Information session

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

    2. Individual interview

    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. Mentor training

    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. Matching

    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. First meeting

    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. Signing of the Agreement and the Charter

    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. Period of mentoring

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

    8. Evaluation

    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 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

    Our partners