MAB partner Hellas 50+ organised a round table with Greek organisations interested in mentoring.
The Round Table was supported by Elix – Education and support for refugees and migrants, and attended by representatives of Stratigon Finance, Deree College, Hellenic Immigrant Forum, Women On Top, Ukrainian Women in Greece, Bodosaki Foundation, Women's Political Association, and Metadrasi.
The purpose of the discussion was to examine issues facing mentoring in Greece today, to look for ways to establish mentoring structures and to identify opportunities for cooperation in this field. The discussion was moderated by Mrs. Evangelia Daratsanou of Stratigon Finance at the Elix Education Center in Athens.
Three organisations that work with potential mentees were present at the discussion:
- Deree College reported that graduating students will be encouraged to register on the MAB platform, while there is interest in accessing mentors from countries outside of Greece through the platform's network. The College intends to promote the project to students, their parents and to College alumni associations.
- The Migrant Forum is ready to work with 50+ Hellas, for the development of a mentoring program which can be a useful service of the Forum to its younger members.
- The Ukrainian Women's Union, a member of the Forum, can also participate with its members who may be interested in benefiting from mentoring, which is also of interest to the organisation, as it promotes the connection of Ukrainian immigrant women to Greek society and helps their entry in the Greek labour markets.
The public vocational insititute IEK Keratsini was unable to attend but is interested in participating in the MAB project, encouraging its students to register on the MAB Platform.
Among the organisations offering mentoring and coaching services were:
- METAdrasi, which works with mentors to help students and unaccompanied children aged 14 to 18. They could work together with the MAB project, especially if the current criteria for mentees were to be extended to under 18s in the long-term
- The women's organisation Women on TOP consists of female mentors who help other women to enter the Greek business environment. They do not have a real need for MAB mentoring, but the organisation is willing to share the mentoring experience it has gained over the years and is interested in monitoring the progress of the project.
- A similar interest in the progress of the MAB project was expressed by the Bodosaki Foundation, through its activity in the Social Manifesto.
Organisations wishing to participate as Mentoring Hubs
Other organisations that intend to leverage mentoring, such as Elix, the Advisory Network (DAS) and Co2gether (in absentia) have declared their readiness to take part as Mentoring Hubs in the MAB project and contribute with activities that will raise the Mentoring process to a higher level in Greece.
These activities could include, for example:
- Contacting organisations of people in retirement to attract mentors.
- Mentor certification.
- The quality of the mentoring process.
- The promotion of intra-company mentoring in the private sector.
- Approaching professional chambers that will be interested in promoting mentoring to their members.
- The promotion of the cooperation of the public sector with competence in training and job creation programs, with civil society organisations active in mentoring.
All organisations agreed to be informed about the mentoring activities of the MAB project and to reconnect at a future meeting before the end of 2024. We thank them all very much for their interest and contribution to the discussion.
