Workshop
DUO for a JOB
Mentorship as a bridge between generations and cultures
DUO for a JOB is a non-profit active in the Netherlands, Belgium, and France that pairs young people with a migration background with experienced professionals aged 50+. These mentors receive training and guide their mentee through a six-month program. During the Generation Game workshop, mentors and mentees explored not only their differences and possible biases, but also each other’s strengths and perspectives.
The challenge
The world is changing rapidly; technology, values, and expectations around work are constantly shifting. At DUO for a JOB, people from different generations and cultural backgrounds meet. How can they understand each other’s frames of reference? Which shared themes connect them? And what strengths can they learn from one another?
The solution
In the interactive Generation Game workshop, mentors and mentees co-created generational profiles: how does Gen Z view the world, and how does that differ from Gen X? By literally stepping into each other’s generation, stereotypes and misunderstandings came to light, alongside qualities and surprising similarities. The session created space for reflection, recognition, and fresh insights in a setting that was both playful and accessible.
The impact
In this diverse team, where generations and cultures meet, valuable moments of recognition and admiration emerged: young and old saw themselves reflected in each other’s stories. The most powerful outcome? The discovery of a shared core value that gave participants goosebumps, a profound reminder of what truly connects them.
