Mentoring for a brighter future

In my 15 years working in the education sector, I have seen the introduction, removal and alteration of various different services and schemes intended to help young people get on in life.

Be it information and advice, financial support or measures actively to encourage social mobility, we all agree on the need to help students from every background achieve their goals. However, countless reports delivered by organisations like the CBI and the Sutton Trust show that even in this day and age, a student’s future can be largely determined by their parents’ pasts.

The problem none of these schemes or services has been able to overcome is the undeniable fact that if you are from a more affluent background, you are at an advantage. Not simply because your parents are wealthier or any of the other tangible advantages that go along with this privilege, but because the chances are that among your network of friends and family you are likely to know someone who can give you the anecdotal advice and guidance you need to get to where you want to be.