Zurich UK celebrates milestone as Kickstart mentoring scheme reaches 250 pupils

The Zurich kickstart initiative is celebrating its third year of supporting state funded secondary school students, which has mentored almost 250 pupils to date.

Launched in 2023, the initiative aims to attract future talent from diverse backgrounds by pairing them with Zurich’s specially trained senior leaders from a range of career experience.

Primarily supporting students from schools in London and Hampshire where Zurich has offices, 52 students from The Sixth Form College Farnborough signed up to the mentoring scheme this year.

Meanwhile, 34 pupils from the Heathcote School and Science College in Waltham Forest also joined alongside St Bonaventure’s RC School in Newham, who have been involved since the pilot in 2022.

The final Kickstart session for this year’s cohort of Farnborough students was held on 17 June at Zurich’s London offices to conclude the programme.

This included a talk to the students on overcoming adversity by Jake Brown, who is a former England national cerebral palsy footballer and contestant on the third series of The Traitors.

Amy Brettell, managing director of Zurich Municipal and executive sponsor of Kickstart Mentors, said: “I am thrilled to be the executive sponsor of the Kickstart initiative, which aims to open a world of opportunities to young people, especially those who may have never even considered a career in insurance.

“The scheme is particularly meaningful to me. I grew up in a similar environment to many of these young people, I didn’t have exposure to people in the corporate world and a career in insurance just wasn’t something I’d even thought about.

“I’m so proud of the success that we’ve already seen with the Kickstart scheme and look forward to continuing to support students in areas that need it most.”

‘Meaningful impact’

Running for six months, the sessions provided students with activities ranging from mock interviews and tackling imposter syndrome to developing compelling presentations, CVs and LinkedIn profiles.

Half of students who completed the scheme have gone on to fulfil additional work experience placements with the insurer, with some additional students going on to become ambassadors for the programme to attract and support the next cohort within their schools.

Adam Slade, lead tutor at the sixth form college Farnborough, said: “We have been involved in Zurich’s Kickstart mentoring programme for three years and it has become a key part of our work to broaden access and address inequalities in opportunities for our students.

“I’m particularly proud of the seven students that have gone on to gain valuable work experience at Zurich’s Farnborough office.

“Other students have been connected to contacts further afield, in areas such as law, opening doors they might not have otherwise encountered. The programme’s continued growth and success highlight both the dedication of its mentors and the meaningful impact it has on students.”