Introducing: Social Business Sindbad
Sinbad the Sailor as a social business? This made us curious and we asked social business co-founder Andreas Lechner what this mentoring initiative is all about.
NGOJobs: Sinbad? The sailor? How does the name fit your social business?
Yes, the name Sinbad comes from Sinbad the Sailor from the fairy tale One Thousand and One Nights. The analogy is Sinbad as an adventurer who sets off on journeys to new shores and explores many new cultures. The young people in our program are also about to embark on a new journey to their first job or a new apprenticeship after finishing compulsory school. At Sindbad, they explore the world of work together with a personal mentor.
And what exactly do you do?
Sindbad connects worlds. In an innovative mentoring program, young people from socially disadvantaged backgrounds are supported by a personal mentor in starting a job. We are working towards a society in which young people can take their lives into their own hands, connect with each other and seize their opportunities.
How did Sindbad come about? How did you come up with the idea to found the company?
My co-founder Joseph and I have gained in-depth insights into the educational landscape as school representatives in our job in politics. The chances of someone making it are unevenly distributed and strongly inherited. As a result, 1/3 of young people are unemployed and only achieve a compulsory qualification. We want to change this with a concrete and personal approach in which young people, mentors and companies learn and benefit from each other.
If NGOJobs users want to work with you now, what can you recommend? What opportunities are there?
We are looking for committed 20-30-year-olds who would like to support a young person as a mentor at Sindbad, develop their social skills and take on social responsibility.
Thank you for the interview and all the best for Sinbad!
(all photos were provided by Sindbad - thank you!)
