We’re thrilled to announce that SThree Antwerp have started a partnership with the non-profit organisation DUO for a JOB supporting young job seekers from diverse backgrounds to boost their career prospects.
DUO for a JOB matches young people with a migration background (mentees) with experienced professionals who are 50 years or older (mentors) to provide guidance with their job search.
DUO for a JOB and how we support them
DUO for a JOB supports adolescents with a migration background in the search for a suitable job in Belgium. On the basis of a voluntary mentoring programme, experienced professionals of 50 years and older help these young people with their job search.
Our teams from SThree Antwerp, operating through the brands Progressive, Computer Futures and JP Gray, provide these mentors and mentees with advice on writing CVs, good application letters and best practice for job interviews.
Our teams also organise workshops for mentors and mentees. The theme of one of these workshops is ‘how to have a successful job interview’. By means of active role play, the mentees conduct an interview with one of our recruitment consultants.
This way, the mentees gain insight into conversation techniques, etiquette, different cultures and associated social norms. To ensure a successful application procedure, it’s essential that these young job seekers have a good understanding of the respective cultures, norms and habits.
Finally, SThree supports DUO for a JOB to recruit mentors. We have access to a broad network of professionals from diverse backgrounds who have the necessary experience and would be open to broaden their horizon by taking part in this initiative.
Boosting young people’s career prospects and enhancing social cohesion
DUO for a JOB was founded in November 2012. The purpose of this initiative is to boost the career prospects of young job seekers with a migration background but also for them to appreciate the experience of people of 50 years and older.
This helps enhance social cohesion locally and counteract stereotypes around origin and age.
Up until recently, DUO for a JOB was only active in Brussels. Since the start of 2017, their activities have been expanded to Antwerp and Liège, achieving great results, including:
- 585 ‘duos’ have been formed
- 53 percent of the adolescents have found a suitable job within 12 months
- 20 percent of young people participating in the programme started an internship or education within 12 months
- 94 percent of the 375 mentors would like to form a second duo
If you would like to find out more about DUO for a JOB, visit their website; and if you want to learn more about SThree’s operations in Belgium, our local team would love to hear from you.