Do you want to raise the aspirations of a young person and help them
achieve their potential?
By becoming an online mentor, you can support a young person to recognise and develop
their skills, raise their aspirations and build their confidence, in order for them to make
confident and informed decisions about their future
Greater Manchester Higher is a collaboration of universities and further education colleges from
across Greater Manchester. The network aims to improve the provision of information, advice and
guidance about progression routes to higher education and options for young people. GM Higher is
running a pilot project in partnership with mentoring charity Brightside, aiming to address the
barriers faced by white males from disadvantaged backgrounds that prevent them from achieving
their potential, in terms of academic attainment and accessing higher education and work-related
experiences. We are looking for industry mentors who are interested in helping raise the
aspirations and build the confidence of these young people.
HOW DOES ONLINE MENTORING WORK?
This project will run from February to June 2016 and you will be matched with students in year 10.
These students will be from different backgrounds with different interests and skills, and varying
levels of engagement with school and future thinking.
You will communicate with your mentees through a safe and secure online mentoring platform
where you can exchange messages, share resources and information, and complete activities. You
will use your personal experience, knowledge and skills to help raise their aspirations and
motivation, encourage them to consider and explore their education and career options, and build
their confidence.
Within their school, your mentees will be given an additional position of responsibility that requires
them to work with some younger students. This will help them to reflect on their own behaviours
and motivation, and encourage them to lead by example. They may find it useful to discuss and
reflect on this role with you during your mentoring conversations.
WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?
As a mentor you will:
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Develop mentoring skills through training and online activities
Improve your communication skills
Gain experience of working with a range of young people
Use your skills and experience to inspire others
WHAT’S IN IT FOR MY MENTEE?
 Increased motivation and confidence
 Soft skills development: responsibility, motivation, determination, communication and
reflection
 Raised aspirations and an awareness of education and career options
 Insight into the world of work through communicating with someone who has first hand
experience
WHAT TRAINING AND SUPPORT WILL BE PROVIDED?
You will be required to attend a training session which will cover your role as a mentor, tips for a
successful online mentoring relationship, child protection, expectations and guidance on how to use
the online platform. The project has a designated project coordinator who will be available
throughout to address any concerns or technical issues mentors may have. In addition to this, all
mentors will be DBS checked (former CRB check) and the site is password protected with automatic
filters to ensure security. Brightside will also conduct online spot checks on messages sent.
WHAT IS THE COMMITMENT?
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Sign up for the duration of the project from February to June 2015
Attend a training session as described above
Log in and message your mentees regularly
Complete an evaluation questionnaire at the end of the project
We are looking for mentors with enthusiasm and patience, and the desire to help a young
person achieve reach their potential
NEXT STEPS
If you are interested in taking part in this project, please contact Louise Jones, Projects Coordinator
at Brightside: [email protected]
Or sign up to be a mentor here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/gmhighermentor. We will be
accepting mentors on a first come, first served basis so please do express your interest as soon as
possible.