CSR Ukraine and Career Hub platform in collaboration with Ravago company is starting a mentoring program for Ukrainians abroad, Mentorship for Ukrainians (M4U 2.0).
Join the Program as a mentor!
Currently, more than 4,7 million refugees from Ukraine registered for Temporary Protection or similar national protection schemes in Europe (*https://data.unhcr.org/en/situations/ukraine)
Aim of the program is to provide Ukrainians with an opportunity to look into the job market of a certain country and ease the process of their professional and personal integration after the relocation.
It is an opportunity for companies and their employees to support Ukrainians that had to leave Ukraine due to the escalation of russian aggression against Ukraine.
Mentors of the program can be the representatives and professionals from different companies (small, medium and large) from different countries.
Who can be a mentor:
We are inviting employees of responsible companies, working with the topics of sustainability, diversity and inclusions and mentorship to become mentors for the Ukrainian that had to flee Ukraine because of war. Mentors will participate in the M4U Program pro bono.
Mentorship process: The format will allow for informal offline meetings over coffee to discuss currently pressing questions that Ukrainians might have upon relocation into a certain country. Online meetings are possible as well. It’s recommended to have at least 3 meetings both offline and online between a mentor and a mentee. Mentors are welcome to invite their mentees for informal talks, networking events and share any sort of professional information related to internship, educational or employment opportunities whilst abroad.
Participation in the program doesn’t include financial assistance for a mentee.
Main mentorship topics:
- Employment opportunities (sharing information about vacancies, internships etc);
- Professional networking (inviting Ukrainians in your professional sphere of operation or business-association for further collaboration);
- Integration (life abroad, social and personal questions about adaptation).
Mentorship program period: April-May 2023 і Registration for companies and mentors is now open until April, 2 2023
The mentees will be:
- over 18 and had to leave Ukraine after 24th of February 2022.
- currently located abroad and are seeking professional or adaptation advice.
Registration for companies and mentors is now open until April, 2 2023 via the following link: https://mentorplace.in.ua/en/registration-of-mentors/
After the registration you will be contacted with the details about the first introductory meeting with Q&A session.
Mentorship for Ukrainians 2.0. (M4U 2.0) is financially supported by Ravago. This Program is a continuation of the M4U 1.0., that was supported by SAP.
M4U 1.0.lasted from June to August 2022 and showed very good results.
Feedback from some mentors, that took part at M4U 1.0.:
Patricia Crazzolara, M&A Communications, Global Corporate Affairs, SAP, Germany:
“This program demonstrates how SAP strongly cares about helping people. As a mentor, I am very well guided and informed. Also, the exchange with other mentors is perfectly enabled. As to the women I support as a mentor, I am very impressed by these strong and energetic women who stay positive despite the very difficult situation and work towards a future in their home country.”
Andrej Titov, DevOps Lead, SAP, Germany:
My mentees got improved on the knowledge to their specifics:
- The first mentee wanted to validate the presentation and align on best practices to find a sponsor. The customer presentations were suited due to the cloud specific to the audience incrementally . We defined on steps in a rough plan for the go to market as well.
- The second mentee was interested into business consulting area. The main focus during the sync meetings was to work out a plan on the expanse of the mentee’s business from SME (Small/Medium Enterprise) to LE (large enterprise). The move resulted in the adjustment to the consulting content and knowledge transfer to the large enterprise specifics.”
Tetiana Hrytsyk, Job Impulse Polska, Poland:
“I think the program has had a positive impact on both the mentors and the mentee. We had 2 meetings with my mentee. She is a very intelligent, positive woman. She has extensive professional experience. I helped her build a professional resume and looking for opportunities of continuing a career in Poland. We will definitely be in touch. ”
Feedback from some mentee’s, that took part at M4U 1.0.:
Anastasiya, Germany:
“I came to the program with a request for advice on finding a job by profession in Germany. My mentor helped me a lot with my CV, our meetings gave me a lot of confidence and it was also a great chance to get some language practice before interviews. In addition, I received information from the mentor about the IT market in Germany and thanks to this I was able to better prepare for the interviews. As a result, three companies that invited me for an interview, all three gave me offers. I chose the most profitable one for me and started working already 2 months after our sessions with the mentor”.
Anna, France:
“The request was to receive information about employment in France, details about passing an interview, information where to look for a job, and how to prepare a child for integration into a French school. I got all the answers. And I am very grateful for this experience. The program is important, because women with children who went abroad because of the war are mostly without help. When you have answers to your questions, it gives you the opportunity to see perspectives, draw an action plan and act.”
Natalia, USA:
“My mentor is an Amazon employee. At first, the mentor advised me to significantly change my resume and advised me to rewrite it according to the principles that exist in the United States. The mentor gave me advice on what the hiring process looks like at a company in the US in general and at Amazon in particular. After I made an application in the Amazon system, the mentor confirmed my application from his Amazon account, which significantly increased the chances that my application would be considered.
After I received positive feedback from recruiters, my mentor and I analyzed the interview procedure in detail, including practicing answering certain standard questions. This practice helped me a lot to pass the interview process. Objectively speaking, I got an offer from Amazon only because I had the opportunity to communicate with a mentor. And, of course, thanks to the fact that such a mentoring program existed”
Read more feedback after M4U 1.0.
Contact person: Yuliia Mazurok, Project coordinator, ym@csr-ukraine.org
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Mentorship for Ukrainians (M4U) Program is a transformation of Girls for STEM mentorship program which has been financed by SAP.
Mentorship for Ukrainians 2.0. (M4U 2.0) is financially supported by Ravago. This Program is a continuation of the M4U 1.0., that was supported by SAP.
It is an opportunity for companies and their employees to support Ukrainians that had to leave Ukraine due to the escalation of russian aggression against Ukraine. The program will run in several European countries.
Registration for mentors from other European countries remains open via the link …
Website of the Program: https://mentorplace.in.ua/en/
Linkedin of the Program https://www.linkedin.com/company/mentorship-for-ukrainians
CSR Ukraine is an expert organization in Ukraine, uniting more than 40 large companies, together with which it has been promoting the principles of sustainable business and social responsibility for ten years, implementing its own social projects, providing consultations, seminars and trainings on CSR issues and reports for both private companies and public authorities. It is a national partner of CSR Europe (Brussels, Belgium) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (Geneva, Switzerland). www.csr-ukraine.org
Career Hub is an expert platform of the Center for CSR Development in Career Counseling and Employment, which aims to promote the career development of young people – from school to successful implementation in the profession. Among the main areas of activity: are the development of booklets and career lessons for students, “Profession Map”, the Youth Pact 2020 initiative, the Skills Lab skills development program, and inspiring projects for students and young people on career planning. https://careerhub.in.ua/
Ravago is a leading company active in the world of plastics, chemicals and building materials located in Arendonk. With the core values human approach, professionalism, entrepreneurship and modesty, we try to distinguish ourselves every day and give the best of ourselves. Meanwhile, Ravago has more than 325 branches and 8000 employees worldwide and we continue to grow every day.
“We constantly aspire to create a positive impact at every stage of people’s lives. By that, we mean all people connected to Ravago: employees, customers, suppliers, partners, communities, and society.
At the core of ‘To be at the heart of your life’ is also the belief that working at Ravago should be more than just a job. We strive to create a work environment where our people can grow, learn, and feel good. In a way that makes the valuable time they spend with and for us matter. For themselves, for the health and further growth of our company, and with a clear contribution to a broader community. That’s why we feel very important to contribute to this mentorship program and support and help Ukrainian people in need.”
