John Denham today annnounced a new £21m mentoring scheme whereby university students will support local school and college pupils to explore select and apply for university courses.  

As Secretary of State for Innovation Universities and Skills, John Denham announced the ‘Aimhigher Associates’ mentoring scheme which will see around 5,500 university students recruited to provide long term individual and face-to-face support to more than 21,000 pupils in schools and colleges across the country. The mentors, who will receive £40 per day, will offer support and share personal experiences aimed at raising aspirations and smoothing the way from school and college to university study. For the first time, the scheme will support long term relationships between university students and school and college pupils as young as 14, before they take their GCSEs. It is planned that trusting relationships will develop over time with the mentors on hand to provide support and guidance to pupils as they make important decisions about their education that will affect the rest of their lives.  

John Denham said:  “I know from talking to local young people that some of them don’t apply to university because they think it’s not for people like them, or because they don’t know which course or which university to apply to. Having a trusted mentor on hand, who’s from a similar background who’s gone through it before can make all the difference. It can genuinely change a young person’s life forever. 

"I’d encourage every young person in Southampton to aim for the stars. Labour is committed to unlocking the talents of everyone, wherever they’re from. I urge all local university students to sign up to be a mentor and help a young person to fulfil their full potential by helping them to take the opportunity to go to university.

 “The Government is committed to both widening participation in Higher Education and promoting access to universities where the competition for entry to courses is most fierce. The Aimhigher Associates scheme will be key to meeting these challenges by raising aspirations and supporting young people with the potential to benefit from higher education.” 

As far as possible, mentors will come from a similar background to the pupils they are advising.