In Belgium, DUO for a JOB, a Brussels-based not-for-profit organisation, facilitates intergenerational mentoring by putting young immigrant job seekers in contact with experienced (early) retired professionals who can support them in their job search.
(04 November 2016) - The mentoring provided helps to build intergenerational and intercultural links, thus reinforcing social cohesion.
Funding for the scheme comes from a Social Impact Bond (SIB) mechanism. Various groups in the US and the UK have recently started using the SIB model, but DUO for a JOB was the first organisation to use it in continental Europe.
The programme has already shown promising results: to date (November 2016), DUO for a JOB has arranged coaching for more than 300 young migrants in Brussels (65% being newly arrived), with 44% of these finding a long-term position within their six-month mentoring period – double the success rate for the participants in general.
DUO for a JOB is now opening offices in Liège and Antwerp, and is looking for mentors in these two cities.
