The partnership will launch a tailored mentoring initiative to serve students that would benefit from support and those from a care experienced background, to create successful transitions and career pathways through further education.
MCR Pathways’ award winning, relationship based mentoring model delivered in schools across Scotland, will move to the campus for the first time, enabling students to continue meeting their trusted adult to help navigate challenges that can be experienced when making the transition to college and adjusting to a new learning environment.
The partnership will encourage greater numbers of Forth Valley College students to consider mentorship across its three campuses, deliver early transition visits for local school pupils, expand upon existing partnership work in the area, and support students to take the next step to wider positive destinations.
Last year, 82% of care experienced young people receiving mentoring support from MCR Pathways in collaboration with schools progressed to positive post-school destinations, compared to the national average of 69%. The two-year pilot aims to harness the power of mentoring to similar effect by increasing college stay on rates, improve attainment and attendance levels and offer support for young people to manage their mental health and wellbeing needs at the college.
With only 10% of full-time college enrollments coming from care-experienced backgrounds presently, the pilot provides an important additional layer of bespoke personalised support during a period of uncertainty and change for many young people which can prove overwhelming to the extent some may choose to withdraw from college and, potentially, miss opportunities to truly shine in their chosen future careers.
The programme officially starts in August 2025, with recruitment and training having already begun, and has the capacity to support up to 30 mentor-mentee pairs.
Joining representatives from Forth Valley College to officially launch the pilot on Thursday 04 July at its Falkirk Campus, Sharon McIntyre, Chief Executive Officer at MCR Pathways, said: “We are delighted to partner with Forth Valley College to design and deliver this exciting programme for college students. Our new partnership with the college is a monumental development for MCR Pathways, that will bring our award-winning relationship-based mentorship programme from the classroom onto campus for the first time. Together, we are deeply committed to creating an outstanding student experience that now includes access to a trusted adult who will compliment college services to navigate what proves a very significant period of transformational change towards realising their potential and pursuing very bright and positive pathways in the future.”
Principal Kenny MacInnes, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with MCR Pathways to launch this important Post School Mentoring Pilot. The important work we have done at the College to encourage and support care-experienced and disadvantaged young people cannot be understated. I have no doubt this exciting partnership will further enhance the support we can offer and help to make a real difference in the lives of young people.”
Please contact natalie.smith@mcrpathways.org for further information.
