Essex County Council partner with the Youth Group to offer young people free mentoring sessions with super mentors

Essex County Council (@Essex_CC) is excited to announce that it is working in partnership with The Youth Group to offer 2000 free mentoring sessions to young people in the county. The mentoring sessions are for 16–24-year-olds and mentors include DBS checked professionals working in a variety of fields who can offer support on careers, education and life, while following a robust safeguarding process.

Young people in Essex who are unsure about what to do next or how to pursue a career can speak to mentors for free via an online referral system from The Youth Group. Mentors are matched specifically to young people based on their needs. As many have just received exam results and may be unsure about what to do next this is a great time to start mentoring sessions and discuss your ideas and plans for your life whether that is starting a business or developing a career in a certain industry. The pandemic has significantly impacted young people, particularly affecting their employment opportunities. Guidance from a mentor can help navigate the job market and discuss different paths. Young people will receive 4 – 5 mentoring sessions ranging from 15-45 minutes, giving them the opportunity to explore different topics with their mentor and get the best from their mentoring experience.

Mentors include people such as Rakesh Patel, a director at Spotify and Kristina Carlet, Vice President of Verizon Media the mentors have a wealth of knowledge that they can share. Jessica a student who used the service said

“I had a mentoring session, set up by The Youth Group. After navigating around Google Hangout which I’m not familiar with, I managed to speak to a lovely woman. Her experience and insight within the Media industry has really inspired me to want to learn more about what could be possible for me! The guidance I had been given was so valuable and I left feeling very encouraged and ready to jump into new opportunities!”

Cllr Tony Ball, Essex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education Excellence, Skills and Training says

“We are committed to helping young people especially in these difficult times, the Mentor Me programme is one of many projects we have commissioned to help young people. The mentors in this programme will inspire our young people, provide insight into different careers and industries and help guide them onto their future path.”

You can find out more information about the Mentor Me scheme on the Essex Opportunities Portal alongside information and guidance on employment and skills.