QI Business Mentors

In September 2009 we started on a journey of renewing our engagements with local businesses and employers. The aim is to help our young people to meet the challenges of the world of work. Another key focus is on improving their life chances through their relationships with representatives from the ‘real world’ outside school, who can help them to achieve their true potential both in school and in their future lives.

First sessions were held in January and thereafter on a monthly basis and a review of the scheme was undertaken in May. All nine mentors are continuing as volunteers for a further year, indicating that they think this innovative scheme is valuable to pupils and to themselves. For Year Two of the scheme, mentors continue working with their pupils from the previous years, except in the case of the Fourth Year leavers where the mentors pick up a new group. This year there are mentors for years 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Business mentors work with pupils in a mixture of individual and group work. They also go with pupils when possible for visits to work environments, including their own, where possible. The total time commitment for business mentors is one hour per month.
Business mentors are required to have Disclosure Scotland checks undertaken. They are supported by Queensberry Initiative staff and the cluster’s home link worker, John Murray.