Become A Mentor
Mentors spend just 1 hour a week listening to and encouraging a young person at school. The relationship that develops is what makes the difference.
What Is A Mentor?
All young people are talented. However, care-experienced and disadvantaged young people face challenges outwith their control that make it harder for them to succeed. These young people are in our community, but we don’t always see their struggles. You can help change that.
Our volunteer mentors are matched with a young person and help them realise their full potential. Mentors are carefully matched based on personality and experience. Every young person is different so we look for mentors from all walks of life. The only requirement is simply a desire to help a young person. When one person mentors, two lives are changed.
How It Works?
The MCR team and your school’s Pathways Coordinator are here to help support your relationship. We provide ongoing training and resources to help you encourage your young people so that they can achieve their very best futures.
Keeping mentors and our young people safe is our number one priority. Click to read about Virtual Mentoring and how we’ve adapted our processes.
1. Register
The first step is to register. The information provided allows us to best match each mentor with a young person.
2. Info Session
Next, a member of the MCR Pathways team will take you through the programme during an Information Session.
3. One to One
After this you’ll take part in a 1:1 Conversation. This will help us understand more about you. It’s the perfect time for you to talk about your own life. This helps us make an inspired match between our mentors and young people.
4. Training
Next, there’s a Training Session where you’ll learn mentoring tips and essential information. You’ll complete the training process once we receive your approved PVG.
5. Matching
To make the best possible match we consider each person’s personalities, interests and young people’s career aspirations. We also take into consideration everyone’s schedule and mentors’ school preferences.
6. Meetings
Mentors meet their mentee for just one hour a week during the school day at a convenient time for both. Meetings can be at the same time each week or vary. There’s no right or wrong way to have a mentor meeting, and over the weeks each relationship finds its own rhythm.
Why Mentoring Matters
External research shows that MCR mentoring transforms outcomes for care-experienced and disadvantaged young people. Mentored young people have significantly higher staying on rates, attainment and rates of progression to positive destinations (college, university and employment) compared to non-mentored care-experienced young people. In 2013/2014, only 54% of care-experienced young people nationally progressed to a positive destination while in 2018 86% of MCR mentored care-experienced young people did.
Mentoring is creating a wave of positive change, impacting our schools, community and country.
"When I first met my mentor I was excited as my Coordinator promised me it was someone specially picked for me. It was great to meet her for the first time as she was so down to earth and nice. We did a tour of the school. I am really grateful as she has helped me to be open-minded and boosted my confidence. I didn't realise I needed a mentor until I got one."
Young Person
St Machar Academy
Aberdeen
My mentor is funny and just all round amazing because he can make the worst times I am having to tiny tiny minor things. He tries to make me smile and laugh. He gives good advice and helps me through a lot of things. It's really easy to talk to him as we have a really good connection as we have a lot in common such as politics etc.
Young Person
St Margaret Mary's Secondary
Glasgow
"My mentor was always there for me. I went through a really bad time and didn't always show up but she just kept turning up and when I would come back she was always waiting.
Young Person
Auchenharvie Academy
North Ayrshire
A mentor gives you someone to speak to. It’s someone outwith school who you can get to know.
Young Person
Inverurie Academy
Aberdeenshire
My mentor Tim, he helps me stay focussed and he always listens to me. He made me see the good things in life. But every mentor and every young person in this programme is different, we are individuals.
Young Person
Lochend Community High School
Glasgow
My mentor is adventurous, and easy going. She understands me and is hilarious. I can trust my mentor and talk to her about things that I don't talk to other people about. My mentor has brought me out of my shell and makes me feel important.
Young Person
Knightswood Academy
Glasgow
Helpful Guides
Your Mentor Journey Explained
Everything you need to know about your mentoring journey.
Other Ways To Help
Talent Tasters
Talent Tasters are a chance for young people to try out a job, college, or university in engaging, bite-sized opportunities. Short, hands-on and inspiring, Talent Tasters help unlock young people’s aspirations.
Become A Partner
Our committed partners help us deliver our programme and reach more young people. Our partners include organisations of all sizes, from local businesses to national corporations to Local Authorities.
Volunteer
There are many ways to get involved at MCR Pathways. We are delighted to have volunteers supporting almost every department in our team. Contact us if you’d like to get involved!