Year 10 Gateway Mentoring
Guide students from ʹڲƱ Gateway Partner Schools and open the gate to a future of possibility.
As an alumni mentor for ʹڲƱ’s Gateway Program, you will have the opportunity to give guidance to Year 10 students from communities that are underrepresented in higher education.
You’ll take part in an in-person speed networking-style session at ʹڲƱ Sydney, where you’ll share your career journey and university experience with students from our Gateway Partner Schools.
Your insights will help these motivated young students better understand the value of a university degree, as well as how different degrees align with their strengths, interests, and values. Opening the gate for a future at university and beyond.
Program details
ٲٱ:This program runs once a year in Term 1 (Feb – April).
Commitment: Participants can choose to volunteer for one or more days (2-hour session per day), depending on availability. There are usually six available dates to choose from.
ٱ:In-person, ʹڲƱ Sydney campus.
Eligibility requirements: Minimum 2 years of professional experience, open to ʹڲƱ alumni only.
Suitable for...
Career stage
✅ Early Career / ✅ Mid Career / ✅ Late Career
I want to...
✅ Have an impact / ✅ Give back to ʹڲƱ
“I found talking to the alumni helpful because they shared their experience of their job and how they got to where they are right now. These experiences are something you can’t just Google.”
Why was the Gateway Admission Program established?
The Australian Universities Accord final report published in 2024 found that Australia will be unable to meet its skill needs without increasing attainment of historically under-represented cohorts in tertiary education. Australians from low socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds make up 25% of the population, but only 17% undergraduate enrolments in higher education (First Address Low SES SA1).
The ʹڲƱ Gateway Pathway and Program directly addresses this issue, working specifically with partner schools that have diverse student populations, including high proportions of students from low SES backgrounds, regional and remote areas, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and migrant and refugee backgrounds.
The Accord also found that students from low SES backgrounds are 13% more likely to consider discontinuing their studies because of financial barriers, compared with their high SES counterparts. This is why all students who enrol at ʹڲƱ through the Gateway Admission Pathway are prioritised for scholarships and receive exclusive access to ongoing academic and transition support.
Program FAQs
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To be a mentor for this program, you must be a ʹڲƱ Alumni with at least 2 years of professional experience.
We value and encourage mentors with diverse backgrounds and perspectives to participate, helping to create a richer and more meaningful mentorship experience. We’re particularly interested in welcoming ʹڲƱ Gateway graduates back to share their experience with the next generation.
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This is an in-person program only, so mentors must be able to attend the session/s at ʹڲƱ Sydney’s Kensington Campus.
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The students that you will meet on the day are Year 10 students (15 – 16 years old) from ʹڲƱ’s Gateway Partner Schools. The schools which attend on-campus events are predominantly located in Western Sydney. Many of their students have migrant or refugee backgrounds, meaning there is a lot of cultural and linguistic diversity in these cohorts.
These schools are just some of the 410 Gateway Partner Schools from across NSW that are involved in the ʹڲƱ Gateway Program. The schools are selected based on an of <1000 over 3 years. ICSEA stands for Index of Community, Socio-Educational Advantage. This index is calculated based on factors such as parent’s education, parent’s occupation, geographical location and % of indigenous students. A higher ICSEA value means a higher education advantage for the students at the school, and vice versa.
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Mentors in this program participate out of goodwill only. No certification is awarded; however, you will receive a small thank you gift from ʹڲƱ on the day.