University mentoring programme helps students to prepare for world of work.

The University of Winchester celebrated its professional mentoring programme’s success with a special event at the West Downs Centre on July 15.

The mentoring programme is part of Winchester’s Access and Participation Plan designed to improve employability and career readiness by matching final-year students with professionals from several industries.

In its latest run, 52 mentors from 47 organisations were paired with an equal number of students.

The participating organisations included names like the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Hampshire Constabulary, Ministry of Defence, St. John’s Winchester, Solent Mind and the Maritime & Coastguard Agency.

Of the mentors, 19 were University of Winchester alumni.

The programme covers a range of practical topics such as networking, CV writing and interview preparation.

One mentor expressed the rewarding nature of the initiative: "The opportunity to see the mentee's confidence and knowledge grow over time.

"It's such a pleasure to help their journey into the workforce and to contribute to the development of the next generation of professionals, leaders, or entrepreneurs. The sense of giving back/paying it forward is deeply rewarding."

Mentees join the programme to gain invaluable exposure and insights from industry professionals.

One participant said: "Having a mentor not only opened my eyes to what opportunities I have but also boosted my confidence and provided me with someone to talk my thoughts through with regarding my future."

At the celebration event, the University’s Careers & Opportunities Team thanked the mentors and mentees and presented certificates to recognise their contributions.

This team is looking to grow the programme further and is keen to hear from interested prospective mentors.

The University of Winchester, founded in 1840, boasts more than 180 years of academic excellence.

Committed to promoting quality education, the university ranks in the UK's top 10 for graduates in employment or further study, according to the HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey 2023.

It also holds second place in the UK for Quality Education, as per the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 4, according to the 2021 University Impact Ratings by Times Higher Education.

Winchester Business School is recognised as a United Nations’ PRME (Principles for Responsible Management Education) Champion - one of only six in the UK and 37 worldwide.