Career Mentorship and Coaching Within the Ready for Inclusive Sustainable Employment Program.

About Light for the World

Light for the World sparks lasting change on disability rights and eye health. We believe in a world where people with eye conditions and disabilities can fully exercise their rights to health, education, work, and protection in emergencies. Over the last three decades, Light for the World has contributed to improving eye health systems and amplifying the voices of people with disabilities.

Our programmes include:

• Eye Health – preventing blindness and promoting eye health for all.
• Inclusive Education – ensuring children with disabilities receive quality, inclusive education.
• Inclusive Economic Empowerment – ensuring that barriers are removed for men and women with disabilities to access decent work.

In Kenya, Light for the World promotes the socioeconomic inclusion of people with disabilities. We focus on empowering people with disabilities by helping them build skills and access opportunities for growth. At the same time, we influence systemic changes to ensure people with disabilities thrive in inclusive environments. Our dual approach emphasizes on the empowerment of people with disabilities alongside broader social transformation.

Through our programmes, we create opportunities for inclusive business and employment. Our Inclusive Business approach equips entrepreneurs with the tools and networks they need to succeed in competitive markets, while advocating for a business environment that embraces diversity. We also partner with organisations and institutions to foster inclusive workplaces by addressing barriers such as a lack of accessibility, negative attitudes and policies.

Background of RISE Program

Ready for Inclusive Sustainable Employment Program (RISE) Program is dedicated to empowering young people, including those with disabilities, to successfully enter the labor market and thrive in sustainable, decent employment. One of the key programmatic interventions involves providing one-on-one career mentorship and coaching to participants. The Career Mentors will guide and support participants in identifying career gaps and help them develop strategies to achieve their professional goals. Mentors will be expected to provide personalized career guidance and facilitate the mentee's career development through structured sessions.

Objectives of the Engagement

The primary objective of this engagement is to provide Career mentorship to program participants, ensuring they:

• Identify career gaps and areas for improvement.
• Develop actionable career plans tailored to their aspirations.
• Provide strategies and advice on bridging skills gaps, enhancing industry knowledge, and achieving career goals.

Mentorship Focus Areas

• Skill Gap Identification: Helping mentees identify any gaps in their current skillset in relation to their desired career paths.
• Career Planning: Providing guidance on creating a structured, actionable career plan.
• Industry Knowledge: Offering insights into industry-specific knowledge and trends.
• Qualifications & Certifications: Advising on any additional qualifications, certifications, or training required for mentees to be competitive in their chosen career paths.
• Job Search & Interview Strategies: Coaching mentees on how to effectively search for jobs, write impactful CVs, prepare for interviews, and build professional networks

Mentorship Structure

Duration: 6-month period with ongoing mentorship.

1. Mentor-Mentee Pairing: Mentors will be paired with mentees from relevant sectors based on their career aspirations. Each mentor will guide a set of mentees aligned with their professional expertise.
2. Session Frequency: Mentees will meet their mentor at least 8 times during the 6 months. Sessions can be scheduled flexibly to accommodate the availability of both parties.
3. Customized Approach: Mentors are expected to adjust their mentoring style and content based on the unique needs and career goals of each mentee.

Roles and responsibilities

Light for the world will:

• Provide the mentor with information details of the mentees.
• Link the Mentor with mentees.
• Guide the consultant on the delivery of the assignment.
• Validate and approve the mentor’s deliverables.
• Pay the engagement fee.

The Career mentor

The Career Mentor will be responsible for the following:

• Conducting at least 8 individualised mentoring sessions with each mentee over the 6-month period. Sessions can be either virtual or in-person depending on both the mentor and mentee's availability.
• Prepare for each session by reviewing the mentee's progress and any career plans they have developed through the Accenture platform.
• Provide tailored guidance based on the mentee’s career aspirations and help address identified skill gaps.
• After each meeting, mentors will report the mentee’s progress to the Project Manager using the provided progress reporting template. This will help track the mentee’s growth and identify any ongoing challenges.
• Continuously support the mentee throughout the 6-month engagement, offering feedback and advice after each session to ensure consistent progress.

Reporting Structure

• Mentors will report directly to the Project Manager, providing updates on mentee progress after each session.
• Reports should be submitted after every session using the provided progress template.

Target Audience

The career mentorship will target young people with and without disabilities undergoing job readiness skills within the RISE program.

Proposed Timelines

The expected duration of the engagement is 6 months.

Engagement period

The contract will run from 1st March 2025 until 30th June 2025.

Qualifications and Experience

Career mentors should have:

• A strong professional background in any career field, with significant experience in mentoring or coaching individuals in career development.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to guide and support young people in identifying career gaps and overcoming challenges.
• Demonstrated experience in career planning, job search strategies, and professional development across various industries.
• A passion for helping young people, especially those with disabilities, succeed in their career pursuits.

How to apply

Benefits:

This is your chance to drive meaningful change with an internationally recognized development organization, while expanding your professional skills and experience.

Join a motivated, diverse, and professional team committed to continuous growth and innovation. We value participatory leadership, where your ideas and expertise will shape our collective success.

Experience a warm, dynamic, and inclusive work environment where everyone’s contributions are valued, and collaboration is at the heart of our mission.

We look forward to receiving your application no later than 21st February 2025. Please apply using:RISE Mentors and Coaches. A complete CV, cover letter and portfolio of work are important elements of the application process.

Career mentors are encouraged to apply on a rolling basis throughout the program period. Mentors are expected to dedicate sufficient time and effort to the engagement, providing high-quality mentorship and maintaining professionalism in all interactions with mentees.

Light for the World is an Equal Opportunity Employer that highly values diversity and inclusion in our organisation. We particularly welcome applications from candidates with disabilities.

Only short-listed applicants will be contacted.