Project idea of Mentor
Name of institution: Mentor vzw
Type of the organization: - Education and training organisation
Thematic scope of the project: - Access to employment and social inclusion
- Workers and new skills
- Businesses undergoing change
- Education and training
Problems to be solved (justification of the need of the transnational cooperation): Problems to be solved (justification of the need of the transnational cooperation)
- Tackling social exclusion and unemployment among target groups.
- Interpret cross border approaches of training and guidance to the local situation.
General and specific social context
Kortrijk has five disadvantaged areas: (1) Venning, (2) Veemarkt, (3) Lange Munte, (4) Overleie en (5) Sint-Jan. In each of these areas are neighborhood community centers that reach the people who live in these disadvantaged areas. Mentor vzw is an active partner in providing customized trainings to strengthen the employability of these residents. The problems that are defined by outreach workers in the neighborhoods are: lack of mobility, lack of social network, low motivation, low skills and illiteracy and a limited knowledge of the culture of work, work attitudes and/or Dutch language.
In Belgium, the employment rate for people over 50 years old is too low. In the current economic situation, the social security is in danger. The age of retirement will go up. Activation and motivation of 50+ people is therefore a specific target that will become more and more important, not only in Belgium, but in the entire European Union.
Young people that are entering the labour market unqualified, are in a great risk of unemployment. This group of young people is in need of a pro-active approach, so unemployment can be avoided. Especially for those young people over 16 years old in a system of part-time education and part-time working, it’s important to also develop tools to reach these youngsters during of right after their schooling. Motivational and basic training of key competences will be more important as this is more important for employers that are hiring staff.
It will be as important for us in our work with the target groups to focus on the transition moments in the life of a person (work to work, work to education, employed to unemployed, etc.) and personal development (unlocking the full potential of employees and workers) as job security is no longer taken for granted. For employees in social economy the focus will be more on the strengthening of versatile skills to ease the flow from social economy to the mainstream economic circuit, as some have the potential to work in the mainstream economic circuit.
Objectives to be achieved: Exchange of best practices to work on basic and key competences and soft skills of target groups. Development of an overview with key performance indicators for assessment, training and guidance of target groups.
Main transnational activities (as provisionally planned, to be confirmed with partners): Visits to cross border organisations to explore working methods. Exchange- & network event. Description of organization Mentor vzw promotes durable employment of disadvantaged groups on the labour market and has 4 areas of expertise: (1) Education, (2) Guidance, (3) Orientation and (4) Advice to companies. Mentor vzw also has many years of experience in European projects. All our activities are aimed at jobseekers, employees and workers and social enterprises and companies. EDUCATION We offer a few vocational education programs where the participant acquires both the technical skills and the necessary work attitudes. In the training kitchen help, the participant learns how to apply the existing cooking techniques and preparations in a professional kitchen. This training leads the participant to work in the hotel and catering industry. In the training receptionist and administrative help, participants learn how to address people at the reception desk or on the telephone and how to execute administrative tasks. Mentor vzw offers a wide range of trainings for jobseekers and employees, such as social skills, work attitude, associating with people with disabilities, cleaning techniques, MS Office, … GUIDANCE Mentor vzw guides job seekers on the labour market through:• Customized job guidance for people from disadvantaged groups: people over 50, short skilled people, immigrants.• Activation of long-term unemployed people with medical, mental, psychological and/or psychiatric problems.• Job application training.• Language coaching on the trainee post for non-native speakers of Dutch. Mentor vzw guides employees and workers through:• Jobcoaching at the workplace: support for non-technical skills (soft skills) oriented towards optimal functioning on the job.• Language coaching at the workplace for non-native speakers of Dutch. ORIENTATION Mentor vzw maps the abilities and personal characteristics of the job seekers by means of an assessment. Armed with the clear understanding of his or her talents, the job seeker can specifically look for the correct job or training. Mentor vzw also screens and selects candidates for vacancies. Mentor draws up the function profile, organizes selection interviews and takes tests. The skills, motivations and personality of the candidate are mapped and reported to the employer. ADVICE TO COMPANIES Mentor vzw advises companies on:• Personnel management: reception, functioning interviews, managing people, employee’s/worker’s satisfaction.• Organization and quality: satisfaction measurement, strategy development, stakeholders’ analysis.• Business economic and financial policy: market study, feasibility study, cost price analysis, financing advice, …
Planned deliverables & outcomes of TNC: Reduction of risk on (long term) unemployment for target groups. Orientation in cross border tools and methodologies.
Stage of the implementation: Project Idea (projects in preparation phase without grant awarded)
Budget of the project in EUR: 0
Budget of transnational activities in EUR: 0
Duration of the project from (dd/mm/yyyy) to (dd/mm/yyyy): Not described yet
Duration of transnational activities within the project from (dd/mm/yyyy) to (dd/mm/yyyy): Not described yet
Contact person: Kristof Spruyt
Phone: 0032 56 26 44 34, Mobile: 0032 473 86 27 32
fp_Mentor_vzw.doc