What is Amplify?
Amplify is a mentoring scheme pairing University of Glasgow undergraduate students in the College of Science and Engineering with industry mentors. It aims to work with students from backgrounds which are underrepresented in both UK universities and in industry to give students the best possible chance of success in their studies and beyond.
Since it began in 2021, the Amplify scheme has successfully matched 48 students with mentors from sectors across science and engineering. The idea came about following discussions with an industry partner about lack of diversity in their organisation and how companies and universities could come together to try and address this.
Going forward Amplify will continue to focus on:
- encouraging continued success
- providing insight into possible career paths
- nurturing our students’ ambition.
Interested students and prospective mentors can email us to find out more about taking part:
scieng-amplify@glasgow.ac.uk
Student testimonial
"Meeting with my mentor through the Amplify programme, at this stage of my studies, has helped me to look forward and plan my career. His insight has helped me to realise the importance of enjoying the career journey and appreciate that there are multiple routes to reach the same destination. My mentor helped me with my career goals, CV, LinkedIn profile, and interview preparation. I also appreciate him sharing his personal experiences with me, which have many similarities to my aspirations and has effectively helped address the gaps in my knowledge. Overall, my participation in the Amplify programme has reassured me of my academic choices and has allowed me to form a connection with a mentor who has encouraged my career aspirations."
Cejo Panickamannil, 4th Year Biomedical Engineering Student
Who is Amplify for?
The Amplify scheme is open to undergraduate students in level 3 and above from underrepresented groups studying:
- Chemistry
- Computing Science
- Engineering
- Geographical and Earth Sciences
- Mathematics and Statistics
- Physics and Astronomy
Eligible students include those who are in the first generation of their family to go to university, are care experienced, have been a young carer, come from a SIMD 20/40 area, are seeking asylum in the UK, have refugee status, identify as being a Person of Colour, have a registered disability or identify as LGBTQ+.
How the Amplify scheme works
The Amplify scheme matches students to mentors who are graduates in Chemistry, Computing Science, Engineering, Geographical and Earth Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics or Physics and Astronomy or currently work in one of these areas. Over the course of a year mentors and students commit to meeting for 30 minutes per month either online or in person.
The regular meetings are an opportunity for mentors to talk about their own career journey or experience and to share insights into areas of work that students might be considering moving into. Mentors might also offer advice on how students could develop and enhance their skills or discuss the student’s future career options and ideas.
Guidance and training will be provided to support productive and meaningful discussions between mentors and students, and ongoing contact and support is on hand from the Amplify Co-ordinators.
Benefits for students
Student applications for Amplify in 2023/24 are now closed.
Participating in Amplify is a fantastic opportunity to gain insight into career possibilities and to make an informed choice about your next steps. It provides the chance to make a personal connection with an industry professional working in the field you are interested in giving you the chance to explore your career options, develop career confidence, build your network, and get more clarity on how you want to use your degree.
Our students have commented that they have benefitted from having responsive and helpful mentors and this has helped them towards successful PhD applications and finding new networking opportunities for graduate study.
Benefits for Mentors
Applications to be an Amplify mentor in 2023/24 are now closed.
Taking part provides a chance to gain an experience of coaching and mentoring that will support your professional development. It also provides the chance to work with talented students and to contribute to their success.
Our mentors have commented that they have benefitted from supporting students to develop their potential and see the world from a different perspective as well as enjoyed seeing their mentee's confidence grow as they learn about all the opportunities available to them in their future career.