Mentoring for Low-Skilled Women

co-funded through the European Social Fund, Objective 3

For years now the labour market situation for semi-skilled and unskilled workers has become tougher and tougher. Streamlining processes and/or the displacement of low-qualified jobs abroad have been causing the demand for such workers to dwindle. Since it is predominantly women that take on jobs requiring few qualifications, the job risk for female workers with such qualifications is extremely high. However, preventive training measures can help this target group towards security of employment. But low-skilled women are significantly less likely to enrol in training programs than their male colleagues. There are a number of specific factors that make it more difficult for them to acquire new skills. The success of the mentoring project has demonstrated that the right support can encourage this target group to overcome obstacles to learning: From 2001 to 2004, 321 women completed further trainings, 103 of them received a certificate awarded by the German Chamber of Trade and Industry (IHK).