- By Montserrat López, Senior Advisor. ImpactCo.
In a world where labor income has been losing ground to capital for decades and the wage gap is widening surprisingly, quality of life and the future of employment are faltering. As a recent analysis in The Wall Street Journal pointed out, the excesses of capitalism are becoming its greatest threat. In this context, the question is inevitable: how do we build a dignified future for the next generations?
The answer lies in local proximity: by creating good jobs and, above all, training the people who will fill them. Quality employment doesn’t just start with a contract; it begins much earlier—with the hope of staying in school, the support to attend class, and the possibility of dreaming of a trade.
Commitment to social justice: Board 2030
On February 20th, we celebrated World Day of Social Justice. This was the day chosen by ImpactCo to announce our integration, over three years ago, into Board 2030.
Board 2030 is a business leadership space bringing together more than 40 Catalan companies—led by Ferrer, Barcelona+B, B Lab Spain, and EADA. Our goal is clear: to move from conversation to collective action and align business models with the challenges facing citizens.
Education: the foundation for change
Where do we begin? At the very base: education and the fight against early school leaving. In Spain, this rate stands at around 13%. While this figure shows progress, it reminds us that the final stretch is the hardest and requires coordinated, deeply human interventions.
To address this, alongside Fundación Exit, we have launched a project to provide youth mentoring for 300 adolescents enrolled in Training and Insertion Programs (PFI). These are young people in vulnerable situations for whom a small push can mean the difference between dropping out or building a future.
The power of the mentor’s gaze
What power does a mentor have to change this reality? A mentor is someone who accompanies you, helping you find the intersection between your natural aptitudes and your passion. This is achieved through four pillars:
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Recognition: A mentor sees talents in the student that they didn’t even know they had. In a vulnerable environment, being “seen” is the first act of justice.
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Stimulation: Acting as emotional and motivational support to help them believe the impossible is achievable.
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Facilitation: Opening doors, offering practical techniques, and weaving professional networks.
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Requirement: Pushing the youth beyond their perceived limits to reach excellence.
For these 300 young people, mentors are the adults who, without being their parents or teachers, decide to take a genuine interest in them.
A strategic relationship for the professional world
A good mentor is for life, a fact confirmed by Harvard University studies. In a changing labor market where constant adaptation is necessary, the figure of the mentor becomes strategic.
Research cited by Harvard Business Review reveals fascinating data:
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75% of executives attribute their professional success to having had a mentor.
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Mentored leaders advance faster and with greater stability in their careers.
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Employees with mentors are more productive, more engaged, and more likely to stay with a company.
The benefit is bidirectional. Those who mentor also gain: it reduces anxiety levels and increases their sense of purpose at work.
Looking into the eyes of the future at ImpactCo
For several months now, ImpactCo and the other member companies of Board 2030 have begun the COACH Program to mentor 300 young people. We are going to measure, learn, and share what works when companies coordinate to shift a structural indicator. We do this convinced that talent is everywhere, but access to opportunity is not.
Currently, I am mentoring Luís, a shy 16-year-old whose eyes light up when he connects with technology. Today I am here for Luís, but tomorrow I am sure I will be the one needing a helping hand to guide me through my next challenge. Ultimately, mentoring is the art of building bridges of hope where there were once only walls.