We are inviting Ukrainians whо’ve been forced to flee abroad to receive mentoring support in Europe and other countries. 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)
They face acute issues of employment, restoration of social contacts and networking, as well as the problem of social integration in the life of the hosting country due to certain cultural and other characteristics.
To help Ukrainians, CSR Ukraine and Career Hub with the support of Ravago are launching a Mentorship for Ukrainians (M4U) program for Ukrainians abroad who have left their home because of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
Mentors of the Program are the locals, who have been living in the country for a long time. They work in different companies, so they will be able to talk about employment opportunities, help with the networking and provide sound advice on social and cultural integration. Although the Organizers plan at least three meetings of a mentor and a mentee, sometimes mentorship can grow into a lifelong friendship.
Mentoring will take place in the format of online or offline meetings during May-June 2023.
The following issues will be discussed during the mentoring:
– Employment opportunities (providing information about vacancies, training, etc.)
– Professional networking (involvement of Ukrainians in communities and business associations, expanding connections)
– Integration (living in a foreign country, everyday issues, social integration)
Important: the program does not include financial aid for mentees.
We are inviting Ukrainians who are currently staying abroad – in Poland, USA, Canada, Serbia, Austria, Netherlands, Croatia – to join this Program, choose a mentor and become a mentee.
Requirements for the mentee:
– anyone over the age of 18 who was forced to leave Ukraine after February 24, 2022
– wants to find a mentor in a country of current residence
– speaks English or the language of the host country at a sufficient level to communicate.
To apply for the Program you need to send an application form.
Deadline for submitting – 7.05.23
Mentorship program period: May – June 2023.
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. via link
https://mentorplace.in.ua/en/program/mentorship-program-for-ukrainians/
Contact person: Yuliia Mazurok, Project coordinator, ym@csr-ukraine.org
***
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.
Registration for mentors remains open via the link https://mentorplace.in.ua/en/registration-of-mentors/
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
СSR Ukraine launched the Mentorplace platform in 2021 to help Ukrainian youth receive mentoring support at the beginning of their careers. Five mentoring programs were implemented on the platform, joined by 215 mentors from leading companies and 325 young people in Ukraine.
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/
After applying, participants will receive an email with further instructions.
