Stansted Airport is celebrating the success of a mentoring scheme for pupils from Forest Hall School.

The scheme, which is now in its ninth year, pairs Year 11 pupils with airport employees who lend them support during their GCSE year by drawing on their life and business experience.

This school year 11 airport employees took part, including those from project management, the airport skills academy, security and compliance.

Saffron Walden Reporter: The pupils were awarded certificates and had a celebratory lunch in the AerozoneThe pupils were awarded certificates and had a celebratory lunch in the Aerozone (Image: Stansted Airport)

They were each matched with a student who they worked with once every two weeks since the start of the school term last autumn.

Alex Smith, education manager at London Stansted, said: “One of my favourite jobs each year is organising our annual mentoring programme with our partner secondary school, Forest Hall. 

"Since we launched it nine years ago more than 100 students from have benefitted from being a part of the scheme.

"It allows pupils to hear from professionals outside their school environment about how to prepare for life in the workplace, and hopefully pick up some valuable hints and tips ahead of their exams.

"It also allows us to hear first-hand about the hopes and ambitions of the workforce of the future."

To mark the end of this year's scheme, the airport invited the pupils and their mentors to a celebratory lunch at the 'Aerozone' on Monday, April 15.

Pupils were awarded certificates and taken on a behind-the-scenes tour of the airfield.

Airport employment outreach coordinator Mollie Fletcher, who was mentoring for the first time this year, said: "It was a pleasure to hear young people share their aspirations and talk about things with you.

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"Taking part in this scheme has been a learning experience for both me and the student I mentored. I’m already looking forward to doing it again next year."

Kayleigh Trainor, assistant head at Forest Hall School, added: "Our students have been incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to participate in the Stansted Airport mentoring scheme.

"We have been doing this for several years now and each year we see such a positive impact mentoring has on our students; they grow in confidence and look forward to each session with their mentor."