Help your students feel confident about life after school: online STEM mentoring is open
As teachers, we know how daunting “what comes next?” can feel for students, particularly in Years 12 and 13. University, apprenticeships, vocational routes, employment… the choices are wide, the stakes feel high, and confidence doesn’t always keep pace with ability.
That’s where online STEM mentoring can make a real difference.
Through STEM Learning Online Mentoring, students are matched with trained STEM Ambassadors for structured, online conversations that help them explore post-16 and post-18 pathways with clarity and confidence.
What does online mentoring offer students?
Life After School Mentoring is a fully online, safeguarded programme, delivered in partnership with Brightside, designed specifically for students who want support thinking about their future.
Students are matched with a STEM professional who can help them:
Conversations happen through a secure messaging platform, making it flexible and accessible around school commitments.
The impact: what students actually gain
Independent evaluation of the programme shows clear, measurable benefits for young people.
Across the 2022–23 programme:
One student described their mentor as “the guiding light at the end of the tunnel” — a powerful reminder of how impactful a single, consistent professional voice can be.
Why this matters for teachers and schools
Careers guidance is a shared responsibility, but it’s not one teachers can shoulder alone.
Importantly, mentoring also helps myth-bust assumptions, particularly around apprenticeships and alternative routes, areas where evaluation showed the greatest gains in student understanding.
Who is it for?
Life After School Mentoring is particularly valuable for:
You don’t need to identify “the perfect student”. Many participants joined simply because they wanted to talk things through — and that’s often enough.
How to get your students involved
We often talk about helping students become career ready. Sometimes, that starts with something much simpler: helping them feel heard, supported and less alone in their decision-making.
If you’re looking for a meaningful, evidence-backed way to support your students’ next steps, this is a great place to start.