A mentoring programme for GCSE students near London Stansted has returned this year thanks to a long-standing partnership with the airport.
Pupils at Forest Hall School in Stansted Mountfitchet are benefiting from the scheme, which is now in its ninth year.
Under the initiative, year 11 students are paired with airport employees who provide support during their examination year, drawing on their experience in the business world and in life.
GCSE students
This year, 11 airport employees will participate, including those from project management, the airport skills academy, security, and compliance.
They have each been matched with a student who they will work with once every two weeks throughout the school year.
Alex Smith, London Stansted’s education manager, said: “The feeling of looming exams and thinking about the future is something we all remember from school.
“The scheme, now in its ninth year, allows pupils to hear from professionals outside their school environment about how to prepare for life in the workplace, and hopefully pick up some valuable hints and tips ahead of their exams.
“Mentoring also allows us to hear first-hand from the workforce of the future about their hopes and ambitions.”
More than 100 year 11 pupils have been paired-up with airport staff over the course of the partnership, which was set up as part of the airport’s community education programme.
Charlie Coe, head of Year 11 at Forest Hall, said: “We are very grateful for the opportunity offered by Stansted Airport; I’m certain the pupils will benefit greatly from this experience. Thank you to all the staff that are involved.”
The airport has recently published its annual CSR Report for 2022-23 which details its progress over the last financial year in delivering on its CSR strategy ‘Working together for a brighter future’, published in 2020.
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