Commendation for co-ordinator

26/10/03

Commendation for co-ordinator

A Careers Service adviser has received national recognition for her work helping students from ethnic minorities get ready for life after University. Alison McGregor has been named National Mentoring Consortium Co-ordinator of the Year after successfully pairing students with role models from the business community.

Alison earned her award after placing 16 students with mentors from leading companies during the past year. Taking part in the six-month scheme enabled the students to improve their personal and professional skills as they worked with their individual mentors to achieve a set of objectives, she said. Organisations such as Barclays Bank, the Home Office and John Lewis were involved in the Kingston scheme. “Where possible, we always try to match students with a company relevant to their career interests,” Ms McGregor said. “However, we’ve found that some of the most successful partnerships have been between employers and students from different backgrounds. The main attraction of the scheme is that it gives students the chance to build confidence.”

Head of the Careers Service Charlotte Scott-Beveridge said Ms McGregor thoroughly deserved to receive the award, adding that her work was an important part of the University’s widening participation programme. “The scheme helps give ethnic minority students in the United Kingdom greater opportunities in the graduate labour market and creates a more level playing field,” Ms Scott-Beveridge said.