Mentoring Programme at Wellacre

Posted at 10:57 am on 5th March, 2019

Inspired to Aspire

In February, Wellacre’s inaugural Inspired to Aspire mentoring programme culminated with a trip to Trafford Council at the Town Hall in Stretford.  

Over the past three months, a cohort of Year 8 and 9 students have been working with mentor Jess Marshall-Townsend, Recruitment Team Leader (Specialist) at Trafford Council.  The focus of the weekly mentoring sessions has been the world of work and the skills that the students will need in the future.  

Activities included identifying the skill-set needed to work as part of a team, including key strengths and areas for improvement, and how students can fit into the dynamics of a team.

Students also worked on their CV-writing skills, determining important information and present this to attract employers.  

The project concluded with an opportunity to visit their mentors’ place of work, taking a tour of the offices and learning more about the various job roles and workplace expectations of employees and clients.

Niall, Year 8, said:

“I learnt about what to expect from life after school in the work of work, the qualities needed to get a job and skills, such as teamwork and time management, to succeed.  This project has been an enjoyable experience and really informative about the future.”

A second cohort of students are currently working with Roisin Jones, Recruitment Manager for Salford and Trafford Mcdonalds with a workplace visit planned in April.  

Mr Pemberton, Vice Principal for Welfare and Wellbeing, said:

“The visit to Trafford Council was not only a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the mentor’s place of work but to also reflect on, and celebrate, our students’ achievements as part of the programme.

“Inspired to Aspire offers bespoke guidance and work-related learning to help students bring out their very best and achieve their potential.”

Inspired to Aspire is a mentoring programme, by the Salford Foundation, to help improve students’ knowledge, skills and employability level.  Partnered with a mentor from the world of work, students have access to personalised one-to-one mentoring support and practical working experiences with the aim of engaging students with education, employment or training opportunities.  

Evidence suggests that employer mentoring can help to further engage, inspire and motivate young people in their schooling and provide them with developmental experiences.