As the spring term is underway, the University of Kent Success Accelerator Programme is also in motion.

Success Accelerator is an alumni mentoring programme for students looking to enter a City career; particularly for those with an interest in Fintech. Set up by Kent Law School Alumnus, Nithin Bopanna; the programme aims to tackle the imbalance of work opportunities, offering those without connections the chance to gain exposure, advice and experiences from alumni mentors in City careers.

Working in collaboration with the Careers and Employability Service, the project piloted last year with one mentor and six students from Kent Law School. The programme has now expanded, to include the School of Economics and the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science.

In November 2018, over 70 first-year students attended the launch event, which brought them together with alumni and previous mentees. After the successful launch here at Kent, a mentor event took place in London. Mentors from across the city gathered to share their professional experiences and gain further insight into this valuable initiative. Attendees came from a range of backgrounds, including representatives from Allen and Overy, London Stock Exchange, Intercontinental Exchange and HSBC.

After a fantastic launch, the programme has 13 mentors and a network of ‘Champions’ to offer guidance and work experiences for first year undergraduates.

A competitive interview process recently took place, which successfully matched 17 mentees to alumni. Mentees will now have the opportunity to connect with their mentors, participate in workshops and take part in a Hackathon.

We would like to thank the Kent Opportunity Fund for contributing towards the funding of this programme, which will enable valuable career development opportunities for students at Kent. We look forward to seeing what will be achieved in the near future for our Success Accelerator Mentees!

Find out more about the programme by emailing Liz Foden or Gemma Witts.