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Mentorship programmes for young people

We partner with businesses to upskill their employees to become mentors for students, preparing them to deliver 1-2-1 mentoring sessions in the lead up to life-changing work experience opportunities at the partner companies themselves. Both mentor and mentee are upskilled, empowered and transformed as a result.
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Changing the face of the UK's future workforce

We connect students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds with employers, allowing the next generation to establish their first professional network to gain an advantage in their careers and make informed decisions on their future. To achieve this, we train employees in partner companies to become effective mentors for students at this key point in their lives.

Our programme creates lasting professional networks for students who don't feel that they have the personal and family connections to gain an advantage in their career. The mentor and mentee dynamic prevails long after the programme finishes, with many students utilising their mentor for career advice and opportunities well into the future.

We pride ourselves on being one of the UK’s leading social impact companies, having recently received an award for our positive impact from the London Chamber of Commerce.

Our mentorship programme purpose

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Workplace skills
Our programmes allow sutdents to be mentored by real professionals in industries they are interested in, teaching them about the skills required
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To build networks
We want to help young people build their first professional networks to help kickstart their careers
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For everyone
Our programmes are inclusive; no one should be left behind, so there are no entry requirements other than being keen to experience an industry or employer

Programme stages

Pathfinder Programme stages
Mentor selection, mentor briefing, mentor matching, 4-5 mentoring sessions, work experience

Feedback

Lena feedback
"My mentor has helped me understand that the field of work is not as intimidating as I perceived."
Chelsea
"I'm more certain of what sector I would like to go into. I was also uncertain about my path after sixth form, but she has helped me educate myself in all paths."
Mubarig
"They (mentors) helped me improve as a person and opened my eyes a bit more towards life and the world."
Sundus 2
"I felt very comfortable with my mentor, like we can talk about anything and I don't feel nervous. She really helps me explore my options and ask any questions I want."

Our support

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School liaison
  • Wiseup co-ordinates with school partners to engage and manage the student participants on the mentorship programme
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Mentor selection & training
  • Wiseup supports the selection of the mentor community and provides guidance and daily assistance across the programme, in order to maximise your corporate social responsibility activities
  • We deliver a 2.5 hour Mentor Briefing Workshop/training for the mentors, led by a professional Wiseup Mentor & Career Coach.
  • This covers the programme details, methods and techniques for delivering great mentoring. Topics include - how to safely and responsibly deliver great mentoring to young people from a diverse range of backgrounds, practical exercises, questions and sessions structures to support the sessions themselves. We distribute written guides for mentors to have handy throughout the programme.
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Programme coordination
  • Your dedicated Programme Manager will co-ordinate and schedule and facilitate all 1-2-1 mentoring sessions between mentor and mentee.
  • We can support the curation and delivery of the work experience placement.
  • Additionally, we are able to support any apprenticeship opportunities you may wish to pursue in light of your programme
  • Wiseup continues to provide support to both mentees and mentors for months and years to come – ensuring both parties build a strong relationship for the future.

Why youth mentoring is so important: Exploring social barriers to career opportunities

There are a number of barriers in place for young people, such as:
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Networks
If a family has limited connections, students may not be given access to important chances to experience the workplace
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Finance
The cost of living crisis has had a big impact on low income families, who may not be able to support their children at university
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Commitments
Some students from low income families may take on additional care giver roles for their working parents, which can impact their schedules
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Perceptions
Many students have an ingrained perception that these workplaces aren't for them, as we have found with our own programmes

Who we work with

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Our partner companies hail from a range of sectors, yet one thing remains constant: they are all interested in corporate social responsibility activities to change the way young people access work. A keen desire towards promoting diversity and inclusion, enhancing social mobility and giving back to local communities reigns strong amongst all our partners.

Importantly, our partners see the value of professional mentoring for young people and how this can benefit both mentor and mentee. As one of the UK’s award winning social impact companies, we’re here to help elevate the ‘social’ in ESG.

Programme Findings

Check out our data and findings to discover the true impact of mentoring in the UK on our past mentors and mentees.

Interested in taking your business’s corporate social responsibility activities to the next level? Speak to a member of our team.

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