Future Ready Mentoring: An Assessment of Impact and Effectiveness

The University of Westminster’s Future Ready Mentoring (FRM) initiative is designed to enhance students’ employability via three distinct programs: Ask a Mentor (AaM), Career Ready Mentoring (CRM), and Group Mentoring (GM). This study assessed the impact and effectiveness of this suite of mentoring. Utilising pre- and post-mentoring surveys gathered as part of each program from 2021-24, text responses (collected post-intervention) were fed into a state-of-the-art machine-learning artificial intelligence platform (MLY by Explorance) capable of conducting thematic analysis, while a range of statistical techniques were applied to non-text responses (collected pre- and post-intervention). Qualitative analysis highlighted that the helpfulness and support offered by mentors, as well as gains in terms of knowledge and skill, were most valued by participants. Quantitative analysis revealed increased confidence and awareness, with a small to moderate effect size, concerning numerous professional competencies. However, discrepancies were identified between students’ expectations of mentoring and their experiences, suggesting the need for program enhancements. The findings helped demonstrate the efficacy of mentoring programs at Westminster in increasing confidence and awareness, highlighted what students found most valuable, and provided robust pointers on refining the program to better meet participants’ expectations.