The primary objective of the Career4All Train The Trainer Academy Erasmus+ project (2021-2-AT01-KA210-ADU-000049756) was to jointly develop an innovative training methodology and implement the programme in three partner countries. Capacity building of social, educational, youth volunteers/activists and HR professionals in Austria , Bulgaria and Hungary. The aim of the project was to train trainers (we use the terms ‘trainer’ and ‘mentor’ interchangeably) who, by successfully completing an online training course, would acquire the knowledge and skills needed to support people with disabilities.
Objectives
- Sharing up-to-date information on the current challenges faced by unemployed people with disabilities of working age living in Austria, Hungary and Bulgaria. These are typical challenges faced when looking for a job and entering the primary labour market.
- Developing an international methodology for successful and inclusive career guidance for people with disabilities. A toolkit and two guides(Capacity Building for Candidates with Disabilitiesand Inclusive Communication and Recruitment Methodologies) formed the basis of the training series. The materials, originally in English, have been translated into German, Hungarian and Bulgarian.
- Train trainers aged between 18 and 45 to promote diversity, equality and inclusion in the workplace and inclusive recruitment. They are also equipped with the skills needed to support people with disabilities through career guidance.
- Creating pairs of trained mentors and young people with disabilities and supporting the development of the mentored.
The impact of the Career4All Academy
Mentors supported their mentees in learning specific soft skills, career guidance and the job application process. They worked successfully to prepare the mentored people for future employment.
In addition, the mentors have been able to communicate successfully with people with disabilities and to raise awareness in the corporate sector about the situation of people with disabilities in the labour market.
Training programme for mentors
The implementation of the Career4All Train The Trainer Academy was a key element in the successful implementation of our project. In total, 20 trainers were trained by the consortium partners in nine modules. The modules were led by experts and professionals with many years of experience in the field. Each training session focused on the following topics:
- Communicating successfully with people with different types of disabilities, approaching empowerment and understanding the characteristics of socialisation and self-esteem.
- Soft skills training
- Personal branding
- Negotiation skills
- Workplace coaching
- Adequate and feasible support in preparing your CV/portfolio
- Job application process
- Interview preparation and participation in interviews with candidates with disabilities
- Successful adaptation to the new working environment and follow-up
Mentoring programme for mentored people with disabilities
Mentoring is a potentially effective way to achieve this goal by strengthening the social inclusion of people with disabilities. Mentors can act as role models and share their experiences. In doing so, they support their mentors in their academic, career and psychosocial development, as well as in achieving independent living. Mentors can help you develop new and existing skills. They can offer advice on personal life management, support and coping strategies. They can also help to ensure that mentored feel less alone (Lindsay & Munson, 2018). That’s why our project has given our trainers the opportunity to put into practice what they have learnt working with young people with disabilities and to mentor them after the intensive training.
Experience of the mentoring programme in Hungary
In Hungary, 8 couples participated in the mentoring programme. All participants were generally satisfied with the process.
Mentors stressed the importance of face-to-face meetings and live discussions, although the mentoring process was also effective when mentoring sessions were conducted online. The pairing was done with great care, so all the couples were happy to work together. As one mentor said:
“I am very grateful to the coordinators who put us in touch with my mentor. We have good chemistry!”
The mentors became more confident in engaging with people with disabilities, and reported that this will definitely enrich their daily lives. Some of them will even take it back to their own working environment:
“I learnt a lot of new and super practical things about how to prepare the HR team of a ‘not yet diverse company’ to attract, acquire or select diverse talent.”
Mentors also identified face-to-face meetings as important and memorable moments in the process. They also appreciated the personal experiences shared by their mentors. The mentoring sessions covered a wide range of topics, including soft skills (e.g. communication or public speaking), CV and cover letter writing, job interview preparation – and probation:
“…my mentor told me everything about how to prepare for a job interview, for example. What can I expect? What will they ask me? etc. We also communicated constantly by e-mail. He was very kind but firm in pointing out my mistakes. He left it to me to correct the mistake. If I did it right, he praised me very much. He always just made comments and suggestions. I took his advice, it was very helpful. For example, I always emphasized my experience. And I can handle my weaknesses.”
Challenges
The mentors identified two challenges that they all faced: lack of confidence and difficulties with time management. To overcome these challenges, mentors took the time to understand the complexity of their mentees’ situation. When necessary, some coaching techniques were also used.
In several cases, mentors successfully and easily adapted their behaviour/approach to the needs of the mentee. “Initially, I was ‘too polite’, i.e. I didn’t interrupt my mentoring when he explained non-essentials at length. It was agreed that it would be my responsibility to stop/interrupt him and let him know that we were going off track”.
The challenges experienced by the mentored were more logistical. For example, they went to the wrong address for a face-to-face meeting), but these were usually handled very well with the support of the mentor.
Results
On average, each couple attended six mentoring sessions. A couple requested an additional meeting because the mentored person had got a new job during the mentoring process. So his mentor supported him in the initial steps of his integration into the workplace.
Overall, all mentored individuals have made significant steps towards achieving the individual career goals set at the beginning of the process.
