(04 November 2016) – 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.
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.