Back to School Week inspires SW state students to career confidence

Former state students across the South West aim to motivate current students to career confidence and academic success by going back to their old schools in a campaign to build an alumni network in every school and college in the region.

Back to School Week is taking place this week (6-10 March). It is run by the national education charity Future First, and is taking place in state schools across Devon, Cornwall and part of Somerset which have amongst the lowest social mobility in Britain.

Future First research shows alumni are crucial in inspiring current state students to career confidence and academic success by acting as positive role models, providing connections to the world of work, volunteering as mentors or governors or even helping to raise funds.

On Monday March 6th include at Hele’s Trust School in Plympton, 12 alumni returned for a university preparation workshop for 60 sixth formers.

The campaign week aims to encourage more schools to see alumni as a valuable resource in broadening the jobs horizons of current generation and preparing them to navigate the difficult transition from school to work. Private schools and universities have long seen the value of keeping alumni engaged.

Future First already works in 40 schools across the South West in a scheme funded by the government’s Careers and Enterprise Company. The initiative will benefit 12,000 state students this academic year by linking them with alumni who can broaden their jobs horizons and help them navigate the difficult transition from school to work.

Christine Gilbert, Executive Chair of Future First said:  “Every state school student should have the opportunity to succeed in life after school, regardless of their background. If students see ‘people like me’ have succeeded, they are more likely to believe they can too. They work harder and have higher expectations of success. We want more schools to see the benefits of using their alumni as a powerful resource.”

Future First is currently working with more than 400 state schools and colleges up and down the country to set up ‘ old school tie’ networks and harness the wealth of talent and experience of former students in a range of careers, from law and banking to plumbing and catering. More than 180,000 former students are registered to support current students at their old school.

Future First/YouGov polling of adults shows: [1]

Among all adults who attended secondary school in Great Britain former  private school students were almost four times more likely to have heard from former students about their jobs while at school than state students (42 per cent v 12 per cent)

Former state school students are just as likely as former private school students to be willing to support current students but they haven’t been asked. Former privately educated students are four times more likely to have been asked to do so in the last 12 months (9 per cent v 2 per cent).
 
Research for the Social Mobility Commission (2016) shows that only one in eight children from a low income background is likely to became a high earner as an adult.