Building Future Pathways: How ABCN Mentoring Programs Boost Student Outcomes

One in three Australian students from low socio-economic backgrounds do not complete Year 12 and are twice as likely to be unemployed at age 24.

The Australian Business and Community Network (ABCN) connects low-SES schools with business, delivering mentoring programs to develop students’ skills, aspirations and networks - reaching 56,000 students to date.

ABCN partnered with the Centre for Social Impact UNSW to evaluate the medium to long-term impact of its work.

Young people shared their views through a survey and interviews and the research findings revealed sustained benefits across three key domains: post-school pathways, enterprise skills and life skills – while reinforcing the pivotal role for business in bridging the gap in opportunities and outcomes for some Australians.