Empowerment through Mentoring – A.B.’s Story Inspires

Professional inclusion is critical for promoting diversity and equality in the workplace, providing everyone with equal opportunities for career development and personal growth. A.B.’s story is an excellent example of professional inclusion that proves that with the right guidance and support, even basic language and educational barriers can be overcome, barriers that often lead to exclusion from the labor market.

A.B., an 18-year-old young man, arrived in Catalonia from Africa and approached the organization Obre’t Ebre seeking information about an agriculture program. During the first interview, his language difficulties in both Catalan and Spanish were identified, so translation into Mandinga was used for better understanding. From this first interview, the Youth Workers of the organization realized that A.B. had had a very difficult childhood, had significant educational gaps, and his residency permit was still pending, which delayed his professional integration.

With guidance and support from the program’s educational staff, as well as the help of a dedicated mentor, A.B. began to show great interest in education and learning. Along with learning job search techniques and developing professional skills, he was taught basic ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) skills, as well as the alphabet and simple words in Catalan through special books and activities. His daily progress was impressive, leading to significant improvement.

His big opportunity came when he participated in an agriculture internship at the company Hortebre, located in the municipality of Aldea in Catalonia. The positive feedback from the employer was crucial, as they expressed a desire to offer A.B. a work contract once he received his residency permit. A month later, when the permit was approved, A.B. was hired and continues to work there with the same enthusiasm as on his first day.

A.B.’s story is an excellent example of the power of mentorship and inclusive programs that contribute to personal and professional growth. His employer, recognizing his valuable contribution to the work, offered him a motorhome to live near his job, reducing his living expenses. Today, A.B. is working hard to obtain his driver’s license, continuing his professional ascent with determination.

A.B.’s case embodies the key ingredients for success: support, education, opportunities, and guidance, making it an inspiration for any young person seeking professional integration in the host country, even when starting from scratch.

Through the Erasmus+ project SIDE, in which six non-profit organizations from Greece, Italy, and Spain are collaborating, we will create an Educational Guide for a holistic approach to youth employment inclusion.

* This story was shared with us by the organization Obre’t Ebre, with whom we are collaborating on the implementation of the SIDE project.