Become a mentor for DUO for a Job

For the past year, the Damart Foundation and brand have been supporting the Duo for a Job association. This cause is close to the brand's heart, as it offers people over 50 the opportunity to mentor young people from diverse backgrounds who are retraining for new careers. It's a wonderful intergenerational commitment in which the brand and its employees are fully invested.

Duo for a Job and Damart: A Meaningful Partnership

In 2022, the foundation invited group brands to fully invest in a charity. At the same time, the Belgian charity Duo for a Job was establishing a presence in northern France, opening a new branch in Lille. This is how the DUO x Damart partnership was born.

Since then, the textile brand has organized conferences and company tours with the charity to showcase the various roles within the company.

This has allowed the mentees (the young people in the Duo program) to explore the different career paths available within a company, while also encouraging employees to actively participate in the partnership.

To learn more about the event, click here: https://on-seniors-side-foundation.org/damart-ouvre-ses-portes-a-duo-for-a-job/

Mentor Training

To become a mentor with Duo for a Job, you must meet several criteria, including being over 50 years old and completing the training.

This is the case for Sophie Hasselsweiller, manager of the Damart store in Roncq, who decided to become a mentor. She completed a 4-day training course on coaching.

Duo for a Job facilitates the mentor's training schedule according to their availability. Some mentors are still active, and the organization is available to ensure that the experience is enjoyable and not a burden for the future mentor.

Following the training, Duo for a Job carefully selects mentees to arrange the first meeting with the mentor. The six-month coaching program can then begin: the pair gets to know each other, expresses their needs and objectives, and offers advice to best achieve the mentee's professional project.

A future mentor,

Sophie, a Damart store manager, was already involved in community organizations. A volunteer at the Second Chance School, she conducted motivational interviews for those who wanted to return to school.

"It allowed me to stay grounded and realize the real problems."

It was through the partnership between Damart and the association that Sophie became interested in this intergenerational mentoring program.

Now that her training is complete, she is waiting for a mentee to mentor for six months.

"This training allowed me to discover all the problems encountered by people with a migration background, helped me to dispel preconceived ideas in certain areas while learning with a friendly group and in a well-structured environment."