Facilitators Guide_Mentoring Circles™_EN

3 The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. 1. The SMART Volunteering Project In a 2016 report, made by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), female migrants were identified as the most overqualified and themost underemployed group in Europe. 1 This disadvantaged position goes beyond simple labour participation; the lack of economic independence limits the opportunities for migrant women for socio-cultural integration within the local society. Effective integration is located at the intersection of social participation and employment opportunities and for this reason it is important to support migrant women in finding meaningful and useful employment. The SMART Volunteering project aims to bridge this existing gap between labour and social integration through innovative training methodologies, by increasing socio-economic participation of migrant women, by supporting them in finding useful volunteering opportunities. Through volunteering, they can gain meaningful working experience on the local labour market while also increasing their socio-cultural participation and network within the local community. 2. Inova’s Mentoring Circles TM Methodology This guide has been produced to give facilitators’ knowledge of Inova Consultancy’s approach to Mentoring Circles™ and to outline our recommended process for the implementation in the SMART Volunteering project. One of the main challenges for a third country national coming to the EU often is finding meaningful employment where her skills and experiences are used to its full potential. Looking for employment in a new environment can often be a daunting task and can easily make you become discouraged, if the search process drags on for a long period of time. Inova has developed a unique group mentoring process which brings together skilled facilitation using action learning techniques, coaching and mentoring, combined with career development and self-reflection tools. In order to support migrant women with career options and the socio-cultural integration that often comes along with meaningful employment, the Mentoring Circle TM methodology will be piloted for the SMART Volunteering project. The Mentoring Circles TM are adapted to the results of the Needs Analysis Report of Work Package 1 of the SMART Volunteering project, focusing on the motivation migrant women often have and guide them on how to use that enthusiasm to recognise opportunities and make the most of these within the local society. They will learn in the Mentoring Circles TM that they are not alone in this situation and not have to get discouraged. 1 https://eige.europa.eu/rdc/eige-publications/poverty-gender-and-intersecting-inequalities-in-the-eu