How to Be a Good Mentor – The Ultimate Mentorship Guide

by GT Scholars Volunteer mentors What's new?

“A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself.” — Oprah Winfrey

Would you like to become a good mentor and run effective mentoring sessions? Then you’re in the right place! There’s no doubt that volunteering as a mentor for young people means that you’ll be making a difference in their lives. Mentors are there to guide their mentees through life’s challenges so that they can work towards reaching their full potential.

Being a great mentor means showing up for your mentee and giving them all you’ve got during your sessions. It takes planning and dedication, and a whole lot of patience and care. Like with all things, you can become an excellent mentor with some practice and there are always ways that we can improve.

At GT Scholars, we want to help you to become the best mentor you can possibly be! That’s why we’ve written this guide on the qualities of a great mentor and how you can run successful mentoring programs. We hope that this will be the start of an amazing journey between you and your future mentees!

The Qualities of a Good Mentor

If you’re wondering what you can do to be a great mentor then you’re already halfway there! While there are many qualities of a good mentor, here are some of the ones that we feel are really important.

You might find that you have these qualities already! If so, that’s great, and if not, don’t worry. We’re here to help you to become the best mentor you can be!

They Have a Positive Outlook

A good mentor is aware of their emotions and filters. So they make a conscious effort to look at things in a positive way. You won’t be able to influence your mentee to think positively if you have not learned to develop a positive attitude yourself. Take some time to learn about and improve your outlook on things and make sure you’re thinking positively.

One aspect that can help is to focus on developing your emotional intelligence. People who are emotionally intelligent understand their emotions and know how to use and manage their feelings in positive ways, especially in difficult situations. They are also better at managing their relationships with others. It is for this reason that good mentors are also emotionally intelligent.

Apart from having a positive outlook on things, you also want to be a positive role model! Your mentee will learn a lot from you by simply observing how you handle different situations.

They’ll pick up on your standards, ethics, values, and attitudes and they’re likely to follow your lead and adapt to your approach because of the nature of your relationship with them. So it’s important to make sure you’re modelling a positive attitude.

They’re Enthusiastic!

Mentors who make the biggest impact are enthusiastic! They are more likely to get their mentee excited about their sessions. Learning is also more memorable when it is related to an emotion, which is why mentees are more likely to enjoy and remember their sessions when their mentor is enthusiastic.

What does enthusiasm look like? You want to be the mentor that gets excited to share knowledge, wisdom, and expertise with your mentee. Being enthusiastic doesn’t mean being inhuman and permanently putting up a front. It means being passionate about what you can do to help your mentee to the best of your ability.

It means being prepared and going the extra mile to show your mentee that you care about your role as their mentor. If you, as a mentor, always show enthusiasm towards your sessions, this attitude will rub off and your mentee will start looking forward to their sessions with you.

They’re a Good Listener

The best mentors give good advice only because they listened to their mentee’s needs first. You need to be open to listening to your mentee so that you know which direction to guide them in.

How can you do this? A good mentoring relationship is built on asking questions rather than telling your mentee what to do all the time. This is a lot easier said than done! As a mentor, you will have to make a conscious effort to pay attention to what your mentee is saying instead of thinking about what you’re going to say next.

Show that you are interested in what they think by asking yourself what they are up to and why? Listening to your mentee will help you to build understanding with them; the type of person they are, their likes and dislikes, and get to know them on a deeper level. Knowing your mentee on this level will help you conduct the best mentoring sessions.

They Give Honest Feedback

A good mentor will know how to give honest feedback to their mentees. You can use the sandwich principle when you are giving honest feedback. That means that you start by telling your mentee something positive first. Then, you give them feedback and suggestions without them feeling attacked. Finally, you end off by saying something positive again.

This will help your mentee to see that you are not trying to hurt their feelings, but that you care enough to be honest. You can also share your experience with your mentee. This is a great way to send a message without criticizing them directly. For example, tell them about a mistake you made and how you learned from it. Help your mentee to see the wisdom in not making the same mistakes that you did.

Your approach should be to make them feel less criticism and help them to understand that you have their best interest at heart. As your relationship grows over the term, they’ll trust you more and learn to accept your feedback and work on improving in those areas.

They’re Empathetic

A good mentor is someone who is empathetic. It’s vital to be able to relate to your mentees and understand their perspective and feelings. Empathy will help you understand how your mentee feels and how to best approach a mentoring session with them. It requires effort as you will need to listen more and appreciate that your mentee is different from you and in the way they think and feel.

You have different strengths, interests, backgrounds and experiences. Be careful not to expect your mentee to respond the same way you do to different challenges. Empathy will allow you to embrace the differences between you and your mentee.

Your mentee will also feel more accepted and comfortable if they can see you are empathetic towards them. This will improve your mentoring relationship with them and, ultimately, your sessions will be a lot more impactful.

So, you can become a great mentor and foster a good mentoring relationship by following these tips! If you’d also like to discover 7 useful skills you can develop through volunteer mentoring, then check out our blog.

The Qualities of a Great Session

We all hope to make a difference as teachers, tutors and mentors. Running impactful sessions is one way to do that! You may be wondering, what you can do to deliver impactful sessions? We’ll talk about what you can do to run successful mentoring programmes and how to be the best mentor possible!

They are Well Prepared

To run successful mentoring programs, forethought and preparation are key. Sessions become great when mentors put in a great deal of effort. You may not get it right on the first try, but practice makes perfect. Be open to adjusting your planning approach until you find what works for you and your mentee.

The first step to being well prepared is to know what you wish to accomplish from the session beforehand. Have a discussion with your mentee about what the objectives should be. These objectives should be clear and well defined. An example of a clear objective is to help your mentee gain confidence with interpersonal skills, instead of just helping your mentee to gain confidence.

Having these clear goals in mind will help you to monitor your mentee’s progress closely as they can now show they are working on specific goals. At the end of the session, you can review what you accomplished with your mentee and then discuss what you wish to achieve in the next session. This way, sessions will be impactful as they now have clear objectives that need to be reached.

They Have Set Times

Successful mentoring sessions last long enough to be impactful. If the session is too short, you run the risk of not accomplishing anything. If the session is too long, your mentee may lose interest in the mentoring sessions. As a guideline, a mentoring session should last between 1 and 2 hours.

Discuss the timing of the session with your mentee to maximise the time you spend together. Remember to also consider your mentee’s interests and learning styles. Some mentees will respond better to shorter, more frequent meetings, while others will find it easier to have longer, more detailed discussions at different times.

Finally, be flexible and leave some room for adjustments. Anything can happen so try not to be too rigid with the schedule.

They Offer New Opportunities

As you get to know your mentee better you will learn more about what they need and what areas need improving. You will now be able to look out for different opportunities that can be beneficial to your mentee. For example, if you know that your mentee has been struggling to choose career options, you could be on the lookout for online career days or virtual workshops that could help them.

While events are great, be careful not to use these as a way to pass the time. Make sure that they are relevant to your mentee’s goals and impactful. You can also look for opportunities to help your mentee overcome their personal challenges, like finding ways to help them with low self-confidence.

A great way to tackle self-esteem challenges is to let your mentee feel like they have control over the mentoring process. Give them chances to get involved and let them know that you value their input and ideas.

They Have a Clear Plan

Mentoring sessions can easily turn into a one-hour long brainstorming session, without achieving much. That’s why successful mentoring sessions are well planned so that you and your mentee know how to structure each session. This will increase how productive your sessions are.

Next, reflect on the progress that your mentee is making. Analysing progress is a good way to see where your mentee has made changes and progress. This could be through celebrating their achievements or a challenge that they have overcome.

When a mentee starts recognising their achievements and progress, they are more likely to engage in their future sessions. They will see the benefits of setting clear objectives and goals and they will feel more confident in the mentoring process.

The Bottom Line

As you can see, becoming a good mentor and running successful mentoring programmes will take time and effort. But it is well worth it! Focus on being empathetic, a good listener, and maintaining positive thoughts about yourself. Not only will these qualities positively impact your mentee, but will have a positive impact on you too!

Remember to always set clear goals and outcomes, stick to a suitable time, and always be on the lookout for opportunities that your mentee can benefit from. Again, this may take some preparation and forethought. The more you put into the session, the more impactful they will be!

If you can focus on working on these approaches and strategies over time, then you’re likely to have impactful sessions that make a huge difference in your mentee’s life!

Meet one of our Volunteer Mentors – Sophie Germain

by Marilyn Volunteer mentors Volunteer spotlight Volunteers What's new?

Who are the volunteer mentors of GT Scholars? Every once in a while we conduct an interview with one of our amazing volunteers so we can introduce them to you and share the good work they have been doing. Our volunteers form a crucial part of GT Scholars and their charitable deeds never goes unnoticed. We spoke to the lovely Sophie Germain to find out her views on social mobility and what she enjoys most about volunteering with GT Scholars.

Could you tell us about what led you to volunteering as a mentor with GT Scholars??
I try to explore a different area each year and I felt that volunteering with teenagers is one of the demographics I have not worked with before. I wanted to do something that was accessible to a lot of people and that was not limited to only a certain area you live in, the school you go to etc.

What are some of your opinions about social mobility?
In London, a perceived good area and a not so good area can be found in a commutable distance from one another. There are a lot of things to see and do and a lot is available for free. Perhaps in smaller towns, this mix is harder to find. Also once you’ve passed the stage of institutional education and you’ve started your career you are less likely to be type-casted based on where you went to school and it’s more about your experience. I went to a state school and some of my friends were in private schools but both groups have ended up in equivalent positions. Sometimes if you have a plan and you are dedicated to it, it is easier to achieve a particular goal if you have access to the correct information and the right people around you. However, there are certain historical and cultural issues that are still at play today that puts up barriers for some people. For example, an issue like the gender pay gap review due to male dominated boardrooms and industries. Balancing this will take a long time and to do it in a way that is fairer.

How did you come to this conclusion?
London has quite a high diversity level and when I was growing up it was common for children to socialise with other children who have a very different background to their own. In regards to gender, changes in attitude need to come from men and women. Including better grounds for the way children are raised and not pigeonholing them based on aspects such as gender. It also requires being open-minded in recruiting positions to not focus on gender, race, economic background, social circles etc.

What would you tell someone who is considering volunteering with GT Scholars?
It is a well-operated volunteer programme so I would recommend people to get involved. You get the chance to share new ideas and methods of learning with a young person who can benefit from it. It is nice to hear the dreams of a young person and help them to access the tools that they need to achieve them.

What do you enjoy the most about being a volunteer at GT Scholars? Well, it is early days for me because I have only done two terms so far. I would like to get more involved in the open days. But I would say that I enjoyed giving my mentees a positive outlook on what can be achieved. For some people, teenage years can be quite difficult to go through. I tell my mentees about the different perspective of other people and prepare them to have the skills to deal with other people’s opinions and encourage them to be focused.

What is your message or advice to young people of today?
I would suggest that they try as many new things as they can whilst they are young. This helps to build up experience, meet different people and get familiar with what they like and dislike. I would also advise not to become overburdened with things and take the time to learn what brings them inner peace, as I think it is an important part of getting to know oneself. Don’t be overly judgemental and learn how to maintain a healthy balanced lifestyle.

As a Kingston University graduate, I can apply the skills that I’ve learned and I can also share the passion of what the core company is. I study philosophy in my spare time and enjoy staying fit.

Sophie enjoys her professional career as it falls in her line of interest and previous studies. She works for AEG Europe as an analyst in the live sports and music industry. Her company offers a Giving Back Day to employees for volunteering.

GT Scholars is a social enterprise that provides tutoring, mentoring and enrichment to young people from a range of backgrounds. To find out more about our volunteering opportunities, please get in touch with us.

Why Apprenticeships Need To Be Promoted As An Alternative To University

by GT Scholars Apprenticeships Volunteer mentors Young people

One of the main questions asked by recruiters worldwide is whether a job applicant has the relevant experience for the role applied for. Knowledge can be one of the crucial deciding factors within any job placement. Although many companies still require that employees undergo internal training, they would still like to know whether the candidate has had some experience in the field and whether they are familiar with the job requirements and responsibilities associated with the position they are applying for. This is where an apprenticeship becomes a valuable asset for gaining entry into your career of choice.

An Apprenticeship is a great way to provide young career enthusiasts with the opportunity to gain knowledge in the field even before their career has started. This will enable them to confidently apply for jobs, knowing they have some relevant experience that will count in their favour.

Apprenticeships allow young people to gain practical experience and put their theoretical expertise to the test. In the United Kingdom, apprenticeships are entitled to the minimum wage rate for their age, allowing working-class students to set aside their financial worries whilst gaining a degree.

Internships enable students to gain practical knowledge of something they are learning in their academic world. A company will provide them with an opening in a department where they can start learning more about a particular career. Experience for post-school careers is then gained, making applying for jobs in the future much more accessible.

Young people considering an apprenticeship can benefit in many ways:

Getting to know your abilities & skills:

Identifying your strengths and discussing them with your tutor or mentor is one thing. Putting these strengths into practice and developing them is something completely different. During an internship, you will work closely with experienced people who have been in the industry for some time. Use this time to observe and learn from them. You need to use your time to grow professionally as well as personally.

An apprenticeship serves as a window into the working world where one will have to make decisions, take responsibility for them, and face the consequences that result from them. You will get to know yourself and how you operate under pressure. You will understand how the things you have learnt in the classroom are tested in real life. On-the-job training will provide real-life situations to test your abilities and skills.

Gaining Confidence:

Being allowed to work in a professional environment with professional people is an excellent recipe for self–confidence. Your assigned supervisors will contribute a great deal to your internship experience. They know you are there to learn and gain knowledge without the pressure and responsibilities of an employee in a new job where you need to prove yourself. You will be allowed to be yourself without too much pressure.

Each company works differently, but most have performance-based feedback sessions for apprentices or internship employees. This is how most companies evaluate their employees and make them feel important and appreciated. You will have regular feedback sessions on a weekly/monthly basis to see how you are performing and coping in your department. This, in turn, helps you to mould your professional confidence.

Networking Skills:

Networking and acquiring new connections within the business world are vital for future growth within any industry you want to excel. Meeting new people and gaining industry-specific insight is valuable for building up your knowledge. Ultimately, it boils down to that old saying, “Knowledge is power’’.

Apprenticeships allow you the opportunity to gain knowledge in your professional field. One of the other significant advantages is that you will also receive a reference letter once your apprenticeship is completed. The reference letter will be an added advantage for your curriculum vitae. During an internship, you will most likely move between departments so that you can get a better understanding of the company as a whole. Each department works together to deliver the final product or service. Therefore, employers must move you around during your time at the company. It also allows you to meet people in different ranks and chains of command.

Future Job Potential:

Starting your career at a young age can potentially give you a head start, especially considering that your job would be on hold if you were only attending university and not working simultaneously. Apprenticeships allow you to have a head-start in the future job market, especially when you come from a lower-income household.

Gaining Industry-Specific Knowledge:

Practical experience is crucial. There is only so much the textbooks can teach you. On-the-job training will give you insight into things you would never learn in a classroom. You can work with experienced staff members who you can know from. You can then practise these skills within a professional environment and put yourself to the test. If you are studying for a university degree on the side, you can still obtain your degree whilst gaining experience simultaneously.

Over the last decade, apprenticeships have quickly become a popular new way of climbing the corporate ladder. It is also much quicker than the traditional study route and applying for jobs afterwards. A mentor can guide you step by step on applying for these positions and help you decide which positions are the best and worth applying for.

The GT Scholars Programme is a not-for-profit social enterprise that offers various programmes and workshops to provide young people between the ages of 11 to 16 with the necessary skills to set them on a successful career path, improve grades and enrich their mentoring experiences.

Our GT Scholars Awards Programme offers one-to-one mentoring sessions and free access to our enrichment or skill-building events. Our mentors provide young people with ongoing coaching to equip them with the strategies and tools they need to achieve their personal goals. This helps our scholars discover their strengths and develop their resilience, and it helps build confidence in their abilities. Sign up here and look out for our enrichment days and skill-building workshops.

Seven character traits of a successful student

by GT Scholars Growth mindset Post 16 Volunteer mentors What's new? Young Leaders Young people

No one student is alike, some students get good grades and others don’t. Perhaps some students operate with more integrity than others or perhaps some are greater leaders than others. It could be that some children are more passionate and proud and want to make a difference in the world. We are all individuals with different strengths.

Caretakers and teachers are often seen as role models by young people. With no support structure in place to help young people achieve their instinctive goals, their dreams are lost and become embers of a distant fire. But, what if we gave them enough support and stimulated them in the right direction? What if we gave them the skills and the know-how to be able to achieve their ambitions? Amongst most young people are leaders, influencers and change-makers. Successful young people are usually hardworking and ambitious and most of all they want to excel further in life.

Certain qualities can make it easier for young people to learn and grow within their own potential. Investing time and effort in young people can help them realise their qualities and build their confidence, an important factor in determining their future career path.

We have listed seven influential characteristics of a successful student which could help them benefit from the many advantages of private tutoring.

Determination
A mentor or tutor can help you prepare for exams, consider potential future choices and how to deal with the unexpected. They help you develop life skills like determination, self confidence and mindfulness. They will also help you to have the strength to be able to swim upstream and dig your heels into whatever it is that is laid in front of you and help you identify potential procrastination habits and how to avoid them.

Self – Leadership
Looking within yourself is probably one of the most difficult things any human being can do. Before being able to become a leader in the real world you must be able to lead yourself. You need to have enough confidence to pull yourself into gear and get going on the tasks set before you. You are the one that will decide on how you will handle and behave in certain situations and your attitude towards it. How you will deal with your successes and losses. Seeing the bigger picture of where you are headed in life and working towards your goals on a daily basis can help you lead your way through life. To stand with both two feet on the ground, knowing who you are at all times is vital in a world with so much competition.

Active participant
Be curious and ask questions if you do not understand a concept. It could result in approaching the topic from a different angle or answering a question everyone was wondering about but not prepared to ask. Your teacher and peers might be appreciative of that! Remember, there is no such thing as a stupid question and there is no such thing as asking too many questions in class! A distant alarm bell goes off in our minds as we somehow remember these statements. The main point of being an active participant is to really listen and pay attention.

Self -Motivation
Being and staying motivated is one of the most difficult traits to maintain. As a student gets older, there will no longer be instruction and guidance from a teacher or tutor watching over them giving them homework deadlines. Students will need to set their own time-specific goals. Putting focus into moving forward towards goals on a daily basis shows internal motivation. This goes hand in hand with being a successful student, not only during student life but also in the future. Making a conscious decision to switch off from all distractions and focus on the main subject during lectures and tutoring times is vital. If you do not have good listening skills you will not be able to participate and communicate effectively with peers during tutoring and socializing.

Resilience
‘I get knocked down, but I get up again, you are never gonna keep me down.’ Remember this song? Sure you do. With so much going on in an ever-changing and influential world of young people, it is common that one’s self-confidence can take a knock at times. Many youngsters also experience personal challenges on the home front and this more often than not has an effect on their schooling and social development.

Self – Belief
So many characteristics begin with Self. It is important that young people are stimulated and guided towards finding their inner self and believing that they are capable of anything they put their mind to. If you want it, you can get it. As long as you stay focused and determined and maintain a growth mindset, you will always reach certain goals that you have yet to achieve.

Time Management
Whilst growing up and progressing through your school career, you will start managing your own time and setting deadlines to complete goals. This allows you to start taking responsibility for your own progress in life as you realise once again that only you can make a difference in this world and in your own world. Managing your own time is an important management skill you will need to learn for the career place. Being timeous with your school activities and tasks teaches you a sense of responsibility, a great trait you will need to possess in your future career.

Meeting with a mentor or tutor on a regular basis can help to build confidence and determination to reach your goals and aspirations. Tutors and Mentors who have real-life experiences can guide young children in the right direction when they are faced with difficult choices or situations. Character building is the basic foundation and building blocks of life.

The GT Scholars is a not-for-profit social enterprise that tackles educational inequality and improves social mobility. We run an after-school tutoring programme that aims to help young people between the ages of 11-16. Our programme also includes mentoring and enrichment activities with the aim to help young people prepare for their exams, improve their grades and gain access to the most selective universities and competitive careers. To stay up to date and find out more about our courses and workshops, subscribe to our newsletter.

7 Reasons Why Every Young Person Needs A Mentor

by GT Scholars Parents Volunteer mentors What's new? Young Leaders

A mentor can have an extremely positive influence on a young person’s life, however, the effectiveness of mentoring is often overlooked. A mentor is someone who the mentee can depend on, someone that acts as an active listener, tuned into the unique needs of a mentee. With the right mentor, a young person can gain professional socialisation skills and receive personal support to facilitate long-lasting success.

Here are 7 reasons why every young person needs a mentor:

Every young person has potential: We have all heard the saying: ‘In every caterpillar, there is a butterfly waiting to spread its wings, flourish and soar to greatness.’ Much like a butterfly, in every young person exists greatness waiting to be unleashed. Mentors can serve as a source of guidance and support to help young people reach this greatness by assisting a young person in goal setting and providing motivation.
Mentoring is relational: It is believed that young people are very dependent on relationships to develop their ideas and perceptions of the world. This is mostly influenced by their interaction with social media, peers and adults. Young people can often feel isolated and disconnected from adults. This can result in a young person’s perceptions and opinions being influenced by misinformation obtained from peers and social media. Mentors can challenge and correct these perceptions and opinions from a more mature perspective and bring about an inquisitiveness, passion and a more informed opinion within a young person through dialogue and active engagement. The relationship between a mentor and a mentee can help build trust and illustrate the dynamics of positive relationships.

All young people are unique and different: “Everybody is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will go through its life feeling like it is not smart”. This quote is worth remembering as young people can sometimes feel pressured to fit into the same mould and can be expected to conform to limited ideas of success and greatness introduced to them through social media and peers. Since mentoring is such a unique process, it helps each young person to realise their own unique abilities, talents and strengths. It is important for each young person to realise the unique ways in which they can contribute to society around them. A mentor can help show a young person that if they are a ‘fish’ they may not be able to climb trees, but they could certainly swim!

Informal education: Throughout a young person’s formal education they are taught a variety of subjects and skills, but they are rarely taught about themselves as individuals. Learning about oneself can be thought of as lifelong informal education that often has no curriculum or duration. However, it is imperative that young people start getting to know themselves before heading out into the world as adults. Knowing yourself helps you to make well-informed decisions later in life such as career choices, social or relationship choices and educational choices. The unique process of mentoring gives a young person the personal space to discover things about themselves which they can use later on to make these important decisions. A mentor can also act as a valuable sounding board since they have the advantage of experience, and they can help steer a young person in making profound discoveries about themselves.

Challenge thinking: Sometimes young people can be overly accepting of certain ideas about the world around them without challenging these ideas and forming their own opinions – such as what kind of future is attainable for them in terms of education and career options. We live in a world where young people are inundated with what the ‘ideal future’ is, but rarely are they encouraged to self-reflect and challenge what motivates and inspires them personally. A mentor can challenge a young person’s aspirations and ideas so that they may be better understood.

Accountability: A mentor can act as a great sense of accountability for a young person to reach their goals and their true potential. Young people may be accountable to a parent for their household chores, or a teacher for their homework but who makes them accountable for their life goals? This is where a mentor comes in. They can set weekly goals for a young person to ensure that they are reaching those goals or working towards those goals. They can also help their mentee stay on track with their ambitions through providing the unique tools they may need to reach those ambitions. Accountability is also a vital life skill for a young person to learn as it fosters responsibility and independence. When a young person is accountable they learn to take responsibility for their own growth.
Staying grounded while dreaming big: It’s good to dream big! But sometimes a young person’s ambitions can be rooted in fantasy, and from time to time they can lack the ability to recognize the reality of a situation. A mentor can help in grounding a young person and guiding them practically through some of the realistic challenges they may face on their way to achieving their greatness and goals. A mentor helps to bridge the gap between how a young person may see the way forward and what is realistically the best way forward.

Whilst it’s true that many of the benefits of a mentor can to some extent be fulfilled by a parent or sibling, it may be important to a young person that their mentor is from outside of their immediate family. In our experience, most young people derive greater benefits from mentorship when paired with a non-parent mentor, and that they thrive within this unique and valuable relationship.

If your child is between ages 11-16 and you are interested in our mentoring programme, please contact us for more information. We also have great tutoring as well as enrichment programmes available.

We need to make sure students are well informed about their options post 16

by Lawrence Williams Apprenticeships Careers Narrowing the gap Post 16 University Volunteer mentors What's new? Work experience Young people

Post 16 options

Every young person is required to be in some form of education or training from the ages of 16-18. These years can be an incredibly exciting period, as young people for the first time are in full control over what subjects and qualifications they take. It is an opportunity to begin specialising in certain areas/subjects and to truly begin down the road to independence and adulthood. We at GT Scholars think it essential for all students to know the options that are available to them post 16, so we’ve made a list to help young people make the right choice for themselves. There is most certainly something for everyone.

A levels –

A levels are the next step for many young people post 16. They are subject-based qualifications, taken at school or college, that open up a variety of options later on. Universities and employers hold A level qualifications in high regard. They are a particularly good stepping stone towards university, as they offer a bridge between the teaching styles of schools and universities. A levels are a great academic challenge and give students the chance to further enhance their knowledge of familiar subjects such as English, Maths, History etc, or perhaps to delve into subjects that they may not have come across at school, such as Psychology or Politics.

Vocational Courses –

Another college-based post 16 option are vocational courses. They are different from A levels in that they typically are more hands-on, practical qualifications. They are specialist qualifications which focus on specific subject and employment areas, a few examples from the long list being business, social care and hairdressing . Vocational courses can help students gain employment skills and also provide a path towards a variety of university courses. They are a respected and well-established option post 16.

Apprenticeships –

Apprenticeships are gaining popularity in the UK, as more and more young people are recognising their value as a legitimate alternative to A-Levels. They offer something very different; practical, hands-on experience in a workplace. The skills you gain through apprenticeships are mostly job-specific and offer a fantastic route towards eventual full-time employment in your industry of choice. As an apprentice you can gain qualifications whilst working and earning money. The scope of apprenticeships has widened in recent years, with roles now available in a wide variety of sectors from engineering to IT to business. The modern apprenticeship is a challenging, rewarding and dynamic post 16 option.

Below are a list of links with further information to help you make the right choice for you-

https://www.careerpilot.org.uk/info/your-choices-at-16
https://www.ucas.com/ucas/16-18-choices/getting-started/what-are-my-options
https://www.allaboutschoolleavers.co.uk/articles/article/100/post-16-options
https://www.connexions-tw.co.uk/moving-forward-options-post-16

The GT Scholars Programme

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