"The Oxford Brookes mentoring scheme gave me a fantastic opportunity to talk through my career choices and to explore different options available to me."

In 2000 the ISA Charity began to support the development of a Mentoring Programme at Oxford Brookes University. The purpose of the programme is to link undergraduate students (mentee), with a mature adult (mentor) whose work experience, expertise and knowledge can be of value to the mentee when making career choices.

Over 8 years, Richard Paice (Traverse Trust founder) organised a team of ten one-to-one mentors at Oxford Brookes to help non-vocational students in two ways: to help them discover their appropriate career direction; and to encourage them to gain self confidence in their abilities. This included help to develop their CVs, focus their approach to potential employers and consider further educational courses through open discussion.

"Having a mentor has meant that I have had consistent guidance, support and encouragement from early brainstorming possible career options to channelling my enthusiasm into being able to now pursue my chosen career direction."

— Katherine Howgego, participant 2005 

Each person was helped as an individual, tailoring the support to specific needs. The mentors had all enjoyed successful careers, and were delighted in giving their experience and time voluntarily. Although this process was not geared to provide direct links to employers, it assisted immensely in the mentees opportunity and ability to network. Richard Paice also participated as one of the mentors along with Helen Auty, Sarah Stoten Gwen Rhys, Finella Wolsey and others.

“I found the mentoring scheme very encouraging and it gave me great confidence knowing that I could count on my mentor’s support, who himself was very experienced in the industry I was trying to break into.”

                                                      — Peter Jay, Participant