Mentoring opportunities

Mentoring United’s MU Mentorship Programme is a year-long mentoring offer for boys aged 11 to 18 in the UK. It is designed to help students strive for excellence in their studies, careers, and communities through structured support and guidance. The programme includes online group sessions built around the PAGE curriculum, which focuses on purpose, career awareness, good grades, and emotional intelligence. Participants also take part in in-person enrichment trips, one-to-one coaching calls, essay writing feedback, and a personal development report to track each student’s progress. The programme is offered on a rolling basis and spaces are limited.

Escalator is National Centre for Writing’s annual talent-development fellowship for unpublished fiction writers in the East of England. It is aimed at early-career writers whose voices are under-represented in UK publishing, and ten writers are selected for each cohort. Over the course of the programme, Fellows receive one-to-one mentoring from established authors, structured creative development, and opportunities to connect with agents, editors and other publishing professionals. The scheme is designed to help writers refine a substantial fiction project, build confidence, and develop the practical knowledge needed to progress towards publication. Participants also join sessions with the NCW team and fellow writers, take part in exclusive industry-focused events, and have the chance to present their work at a final showcase. Support is also provided through subsidised access to some NCW workshops and courses, plus travel support for key in-person events.

Future Leaders UK runs a free, accredited, year-long leadership programme for students in Year 12 and Year 13. The programme combines weekly hybrid workshops, short online activities on career-ready skills, university and apprenticeship pathways, and sessions on tackling racism and discrimination. Participants gain confidence, practical skills, and support for progression to university or apprenticeships.

Students on the programme have access to exclusive in-person opportunities including workshops, residentials, university visits (including Oxford and Cambridge) and work experience or apprenticeship placements with employer partners. The programme currently runs in-person activity in London, Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, Sheffield and Telford while the online programme is open to students across the UK.

Application is encouraged for those starting Year 12 or Year 13; the site states that everyone who applies is guaranteed a place. Future Leaders also offers mentoring, links to competitive apprenticeships, and awards a number of scholarships each year.

Refugee Education UK’s study support and mentoring programme offers weekly one-to-one support for young people who want help with learning. Educational mentors meet once a week to support English, homework, coursework, revision, exam preparation, and confidence in education. The sessions are designed to give regular, practical help from a trained volunteer mentor. The programme is for young people aged 14-25 from refugee or asylum-seeking backgrounds who are studying in school or college in London, Oxford or Birmingham. It is suitable for learners at any stage of English, including those who have only just started. Mentoring is focused on helping students better understand their lessons, stay engaged with education, and feel more confident about their next steps. Meetings usually take place for about one hour each week in a local library or other safe community space. If you would like a mentor, you need to speak to a teacher, social worker or key worker, who can make a referral and contact the mentoring coordinator for your area. The programme also has safeguarding support and local coordinators if you have questions or concerns.

The Oppidan Education Futures Programme pairs students (aged 17+) with experienced mentors to provide personalised career guidance, confidence-building and practical support as they plan life after school. Mentors come from a wide range of backgrounds and the programme focuses on helping students gain clarity on course choices, potential career paths and next steps. Participants choose from modular topics including resilience and reframing setbacks, communication and interview skills, networking and relationship-building, self-presentation and crafting a compelling digital identity. Sessions are tailored to each student’s goals and may include support with CVs, online profiles and application preparation. Mentoring is delivered mainly online, with in-person visits available for London-based families. Typical journeys meet weekly and can run for short (around 3 weeks) or longer (around 12 weeks) programmes. Families are asked to complete a short enquiry form and a client manager will contact them to discuss mentor matching and a personalised plan.

Levelling Up: STEM is a free support programme run by the University of Portsmouth for A-level (or equivalent) students who are under-represented in STEM. It is aimed at students who want to study Physics, Mathematics or Computing at university and is designed to run alongside students’ A-level studies, giving participants access to a dedicated tutor and a mentor from the University of Portsmouth. Participants take part in regular guided tutorials, mentoring sessions and subject-focused activities to prepare them to apply for and succeed at university. Most sessions are delivered online, with two dedicated in-person visits to the University of Portsmouth. Students join one of three parallel subject streams (Mathematics, Physics or Computing/Computer Science) and must meet the subject-specific entry criteria (A-levels or equivalent) for their chosen stream. The programme is targeted primarily at Year 12 students (Year 13 in Northern Ireland / S5 in Scotland) and prioritises applicants from Portsmouth and the surrounding area, those eligible for Free School Meals or the 16-19 bursary, care-experienced students, first-generation university applicants, students from low-progression neighbourhoods (POLAR/ACORN criteria), and students attending schools with low progression rates to higher education. The university also particularly welcomes applications from Black heritage students, female students in some STEM subjects, and disabled students.

TA98's "Suited for a Cause" is a year-long career readiness and mentorship programme for young adults aged 16-24. The programme focuses on building 21st-century skills through monthly workshops, one-on-one coaching, and ongoing mentorship with employer access to help participants prepare for professional success. The structured year includes Months 1-3 (understanding gifts, asset mapping, and vision development); Months 4-6 (professionalism, resume building, and LinkedIn strengthening); Months 7-8 (identifying job opportunities and application strategies); Months 9-10 (interview preparation using the STAR method); and Months 11-12+ (ongoing mentorship and coaching). Participants are offered practical supports such as professional clothing, resume support, career coaches, visits to offices and organizations, and employment placement assistance including internships, part-time, full-time, and volunteer opportunities. TA98 reports delivering 80+ career readiness workshops, serving 650+ participants, providing 35K+ hours of post-secondary coaching and mentoring, and supporting 100+ jobs and post-secondary placements.

The Reading Scholars Programme gives Year 12 students a real taste of life as a university undergraduate and provides practical support as participants begin their higher education application process. The programme features input from leading academics, current undergraduate e-mentors and university alumni, and is designed to challenge participants academically and enhance their current studies. The programme takes place in-person at the University of Readings Whiteknights campus and comprises four events across the academic year. These events include subject masterclasses led by academics, a Student Experience Day in February, a study skills session and a two-day summer school. Events typically run from 09:30 to 15:30, and transportation costs are covered in advance for participating students. Eligibility requires Year 12 study, at least five GCSEs at grades A* - C and being on course for good A-Level grades (around BBB or equivalent). Priority is given to applicants with no parental experience of higher education and those living in identified postcode areas. Participants who later apply to the University of Reading are guaranteed either an invite to interview or a conditional offer, and those who firmly choose Reading may apply for a £1,000 Scholars bursary in their first year.

Isaac Science's "Mentoring: Physics Problem Solving" is a free mentoring series aimed at students studying A Level Physics from Year 12 (from February) through Year 13 (until November). The scheme provides challenging problem sets drawn from A Level material (with some questions requiring A Level Maths) and a monthly live webinar where mentors discuss solutions and answer questions on Zoom. Recordings of webinars are posted afterwards on the mentoring page. There will be 10 mentoring sessions in 2026, each focused on a particular A Level Physics topic. For each session a question deck (around eight questions) is released for students to attempt before the webinar; students are encouraged to try the problems themselves and to discuss approaches with peers. The mentoring group on Isaac Science displays assignments and tracks the problems you have been assigned. No certificates will be awarded for this scheme, but completed questions can feed into the Isaac Senior Physics Challenge if you choose to apply. To participate, join the 2026 Mentoring Group on Isaac Science, read the Code of Conduct, and register for webinars on Zoom. The Y11 mentoring scheme remains available separately.

The Veritas AI Fellowship is an online, mentored programme where participants develop a novel AI project over 12-15 weeks. Each fellow works independently on a project while receiving regular one-to-one mentorship from an AI practitioner or researcher, with 12 scheduled 1-1 sessions and opportunities to present work to peers. The programme is structured into three phases: Weeks 1-4 for exploration and learning (identifying a research question and suitable ML model), Weeks 5-8 for ideation and data exploration (assessing feasibility and resources), and Weeks 9-15 for execution (building the final project and troubleshooting with a mentor). The course is delivered entirely online. Applicants must have a basic understanding of Python or have completed the AI Scholars programme. The fellowship accepts high school students and advanced middle school students. A programme brochure is available for more details (https://drive.google.com/file/d/14jzUDrIy0AX7V-Hx74GTw7seFBjVTPHP/view?usp=sharing).

Inspire Mentoring delivers a flexible 1:1 mentoring programme that pairs each young person with a skilled role model from their staff team. Mentoring is delivered in safe, supportive settings and designed around the young persons interests, hobbies and the goals agreed with Inspire Mentoring and the commissioning organisation. The provision includes emergency short-term mentoring (usually arranged within 1 3 days of referral), structured 12-week programmes, and long-term contracted mentoring lasting from six months to two years. Sessions can take place during the day or evening, on weekdays, weekends and throughout school holidays, and typically last between 1.5 and 3 hours depending on the programme. Activities include sports-based sessions, sightseeing and local trips, dog-walking in partnership with a charity, creative arts (music production, photography, videography, arts & crafts), 1:1 tutoring and life skills development. All sessions include transport, food and the chosen mentoring activity, and Inspire works in partnership with schools, local authorities and specialist services to deliver tailored support.

The ORT JUMP Mentoring Programme pairs Year 12 students with professionals from a wide range of industries to provide personalised career guidance and industry insight. The programme runs across partner schools (primarily in London and one in Manchester) and supports students to explore career paths such as medicine, law, finance, psychology, engineering, aviation and scientific research.

Over the course of the academic year students and mentors complete full training and meet on four occasions either online or in a public place. Mentors receive guidance from ORT JUMP Programme Managers, must complete online training, follow a code of good practice and undergo an enhanced DBS check. Where possible students are offered workplace tours, the chance to attend real meetings and access to career-focused events and webinars hosted by panels of experts; these events are open to all sixth form students in partner schools.

Students are required to submit one creative piece reflecting on their mentoring experience (essay, video, poster or other) by mid-May; winners are announced at the ORT JUMP Mentoring Programme Graduation in July. The programme also works in partnership with Gateways to provide additional support to vulnerable young people.

The Dental Mentor Dental Leadership Programme is a virtual leadership and mentoring programme for secondary-school students aspiring to study dentistry. It combines two teaching days each year (one in November and one in February) with small-group mentoring, practical tasks and interactive sessions run on Zoom. Participants work with experienced dental professionals and peer cohorts to develop skills that strengthen dental school applications.

The programme covers topics including medical ethics, research skills, literature review methods, public speaking, team-building, critical thinking, dental wider-reading (NHS structure, healthcare policy and major dental organisations), and project-based learning with guest speakers from the profession. Students are placed into small groups with personal mentors to develop and present an education or research project, gaining certificates and references that can support university applications and potential scholarships.

Eligibility is limited to secondary students enrolled on Dental Mentor's Silver, Gold or Platinum Pathways (Year 11-13; S4-S6 in Scotland; Years 12-14 in Northern Ireland). The programme is free to accepted students, but places are competitive (typically up to three leadership spots per school). Applications for leadership positions open twice a year and are announced via Dental Mentor's social channels and email.