Women across Devon are being invited to volunteer as mentors to help year nine schoolgirls build confidence, raise aspirations and explore future career opportunities.
The Empowering Girls programme, supported by the Devon, Plymouth and Torbay Careers Hub, connects secondary schoolgirls with female role models from a wide range of business sectors. The aim is to create meaningful one to one mentoring relationships that can have a lasting impact on both mentor and mentee.
The programme’s latest impact report shows that over the past three years, the number of schools taking part has risen by 82%, reflecting growing demand across the region. The number of girls receiving mentoring has grown by 90%, while the mentor network has increased by 144%.
For the students taking part, the results are strong. The majority of mentees said they enjoyed the programme and were glad they took part, found mentoring helpful or very helpful, felt confident that their skills could help them achieve their future goals, and finished with a clear or reasonable idea of their future career direction.
Many students reported feeling more confident, more willing to speak up, and better able to recognise their own strengths. Others said the programme helped them explore careers they had never previously considered, from accountancy and law to marketing, veterinary science and astrophysics.
The impact is not limited to students. Mentors consistently describe the experience as rewarding, with many reporting increased confidence, improved communication skills and a real sense of purpose. One mentor described it as “the best hour of my week”, while another said seeing their mentee grow in confidence had given them a renewed sense of purpose.
Councillor Simon Clist, Cabinet Member for Assets and Resources, said: “The name of this programme says it all – empowering girls. This scheme is a great way to inspire young women to think about their future careers. With the help of mentors, more girls across Devon can develop the confidence, skills and
Devon Women Invited to Become Empowering Girls Mentors