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Youth

Westminster City Council's Mentoring Programme Sees Success with 100% of Young People Rating It as Excellent

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

After the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted young people's careers education, Westminster City Council's dedicated youth team, City Lions, developed a mentoring pilot to respond to the changing needs of young people. The objective was to empower a group of young people to explore their career choices, broaden their horizons, and help nurture their ambitions with the guidance of mentors. The mentoring pairs met virtually every two weeks, and the mentors supported the young people to develop their skills in areas including goal setting, confidence, communication, creative thinking, and careers.

Key Takeaways:

  • The City Lions team launched its mentoring pilot in May 2021, engaging 34 young individuals from school years 10 and 11, including young people in care, who are young carers or neurodiverse.
  • Working professionals from creative industries such as TV, marketing, and advertising were recruited to become mentors.
  • The pilot proved hugely successful, with 100% of mentees rating their overall experience as excellent and 90% of mentors saying they would recommend their experience with City Lions to others.
  • Some mentors took their mentees to their workplaces, providing valuable work experience.
  • The mentoring program was praised for providing a safe space for young people to talk and have fun, with one mentee stating that it "teaches you a lot and can inform you about yourself and help you in so many ways."
  • The City Lions team has now begun recruiting mentees and mentors for the next programme running from January to June 2022.
  • Councillor Timothy Barnes, Cabinet Member for Young People and Learning, expressed his delight at the strong positive response from the first cohort and his excitement for the next mentors and mentees to benefit from the program.

Statistics:

  • 34 young individuals were engaged in the mentoring pilot.
  • 100% of mentees rated their overall experience as excellent.
  • 90% of mentors said they would recommend their experience with City Lions to others.
  • The mentoring pairs met virtually every two weeks over a four-month period.
  • The mentoring program was developed in response to the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people's careers education.

Sources:

  • Westminster City Council news release, date not specified
  • Councillor Timothy Barnes, Cabinet Member for Young People and Learning

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