A pilot  programme designed to help students reach their academic and vocational potential has been launched at Colchester Institute.

 

Run by the Consultancy Home Counties Ltd (TCHC), the My Mentor programme is this year offering 103 students at the college additional support to enable them to attend and focus on their studies, and in turn, arm them with the skills and confidence for further education or employment.

 

The programme is being run alongside Colchester Institute’s own support services, which offers advice, guidance and help to students who feel they need it.

 

Maeve Borges, assistant principal (student experience) at Colchester Institute, said: “We are really excited about having this opportunity to work with the TCHC.

 

“We already have a large team offering student services and learning support who work with individual students, but this is a new, additional step for us which looks at some students who are potentially more vulnerable. We can now identify those students and offer them the support they need to achieve their maximum potential and go out and find employment afterwards.

 

“The programme is a pilot which, hopefully, we can roll out in the future and offer to more of our students.”

 

TCHC mentoring expert Rory Craigie will be based at the college and will work alongside the existing welfare team and additional mentoring staff to offer one-to-one support to students.

 

Students taking part in the programme were identified before their courses started, had gained no GCSEs or one between grade A and C, aged 16 to 17 and were identified as having additional support requirements such as social or health issues. The one-to-one mentoring and support can range from overcoming issues, such as transport to and from college, funding, and complementing personal learning such as using the library.

 

The students could be on a course, taking part in an apprenticeship or training scheme or working towards finding a job.

 

Ms Borges said: “By taking part in this mentoring scheme, students can believe they have an equal chance as anyone in achieving their full potential in education and securing employment.”

 

Sherry Fry, manager of Youth Programmes in Essex and the My Mentor programme for TCHC, said the aim was not only to enable students to achieve their best in education, but also to look at longer term aspirations in securing employment.

 

The young person is further supported by TCHC’s recruitment team who assist in finding education, training and employment opportunities as well as supporting them through the application and interview process.

 

Ms Fry said: “This programme is all about intervention, to support those who may find it more difficult in securing a job, by focussing on raising aspirations before they enter the job market.”