It has been another incredible year for The Amos Bursary (AB) with 100% of students achieving a first or upper second class degree, of which 50% achieved a first class honours degree and one student qualified as a medical doctor.
At a time when Government figures show serious disparities in academic attainment between white and black students, with only 56 per cent of black students achieving a First or 2:1, compared to 80 per cent of their white peers* the impact of the Bursary in nurturing talent and promoting excellence, has never been clearer. Nationally, the percentage of students achieving a first class honours in 2018/19 was 28%.
Amos Bursary graduating students have secured places on graduate schemes at Barings and Barclays, one is already practicing at a London Hospital, two are currently on internships with Goldman Sachs and Tech Consultancy Sparta Global and three students will spend the next year working on their startups, before taking up graduate positions in 2021.
Currently Black male graduates in London are nearly twice as likely to be unemployed as their white counterparts and their are concerns that this figure will rise given the challenges to the economy of the coronavirus pandemic.
Colleen Amos OBE, and CEO/Founder of the Amos Bursary said “This is truly outstanding. I am proud of the achievements of our graduates, young men who have demonstrated that the Amos Bursary approach works and should be supported. Through a targeted approach focused on skills development, supportive mentorship and networking we have not only narrowed the attainment gap at university, we have surpassed it and opened up employment opportunities on graduation. “
Our young men have worked hard giving up their weekends and holidays to participate in the five-year programme. Our focus is on aspiration and talent aimed at addressing and overcoming the discrimination and inequality they face on a daily basis. We encourage them to grasp the opportunities while they are at university and expect them to continue to contribute to the Bursary and the wider society as they grow and develop. Sharing their knowledge and experience with younger students is a key element of our approach. They are leaders and role models to younger students, members of AB committees, and facilitators on our personal and professional development programmes. Their success is well deserved.”
