34 BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS GO BACK TO SCHOOL AND COMMIT TO TWO YEAR MENTORING SCHEME TO HELP YOUNG PEOPLE

Thirty-four business professionals went back to school to take part in a ‘speed-mentoring’ event – the beginning of a two and a half year commitment which will see them mentoring Year 9 students until they finish high school.

Lawyers, accountants, offshore engineers, journalists, tourism attraction managers, marketers, opticians and even a self-employed magician were among the employers attending the event at North Walsham High School, at which they met groups of students for four minutes at a time, allowing them to meet every potential mentor before choosing the ones they would like to be partnered with.

This is the third year that the school has run the scheme, and the latest group of mentors brings the number of business people taking part to more than 100.  First launched in 2014, the programme has been emulated in many high schools across the UK, as far away as Truro.

Mentors will meet regularly with their students over the next two and a half years, as well as being available via email and telephone, to offer support and advice on qualifications, the skills needed to achieve their ambitions, and to help motivate and inspire them.

The initiative is aiming to help raise aspirations amongst students, as well as equip them with the social skills and confidence they will need in the workplace.

The students met each of the professionals in groups of two and three for just four minutes each, before moving on to the next potential mentor.  At the end of the event, students were asked to choose three employers they would like as mentors, and NWHS staff are now in the process of matchmaking based on their preferences.

“We are delighted once again to welcome so many business professionals into the school, who have volunteered to make such a big commitment across two and a half years to help our students,” said NWHS assistant head Paul Clark, who is co-ordinating the scheme.

“We know from the two groups of students already taking part in the mentoring scheme just how valuable they are finding it, and how much it has boosted their confidence and self-esteem.

“Helping young people be ready for the world of work – and just as importantly to realise that they can have high aspirations – is just as important as our core task of helping them achieve the qualifications they will need in later life. 

“The academic education is what we can deliver as teachers; we need the help of employers and people in business to achieve the rest, which is why we are so grateful to those who are offering their time to our young people.”

One of those taking part was Louis Hilldrup-Boorman, marketing manager at law firm Clapham & Collinge, who said, “If this had been around when I was at high school, it would have been very beneficial to me.  Today is giving the students an opportunity to meet a mixed bag of people who haven’t had any influence on their lives.

“As mentors, I think we can offer a unique experience and help young people understand that they have lots of options.  It’s not an issue if at the age of 13 you don’t know what you want to do – this is a great opportunity not just to find out about a lot of different jobs, but also to learn about the key skills that we employers are looking for, over a period of two and a half years.”

Another prospective mentor being given the once over by students was Ron Mitchell, of North Walsham-based Chell Instruments, who commented, “I am an engineer, and I am very passionate that young people should know that engineering is a good and fun career.

“But more than that, I think we can offer a different perspective than they get from their teachers.  We employers shouldn’t complain about  young people leaving school without the skills they need in the workplace, if we are not prepared to get involved and help them obtain those skills while they are still at school.”