COLLEGE students will get one-to-one business mentoring under a new careers scheme.

Youngsters studying for a BTEC Level 3 Diploma in IT at New College Durham will get the support during six-week internships this summer, organised through a Career Academies UK project.

Gail Unsworth, head of the school of business, management and IT at the college, said: "This is a great opportunity for students to gain some hands-on experience and develop the skills that employers really want, whilst still gaining qualifications."

Student Christopher Bainbridge said the career academy was "an excellent opportunity to gain more experience in the world of business".

Patrick Parnaby, another student, said: "I would like to gain more confidence and improve my ability to communicate with unfamiliar faces and I think the career academy will give me more experience."

Career Academies UK works with schools, colleges and businesses to increase one-to-one mentoring for students.

More than 95 per cent of career academy graduates go on to higher education or an equivalent level of work-related training.

James McCreary, chief executive of Career Academies UK, said: "We are thrilled to welcome New College Durham to the programme.

"We look forward to working with them to build relationships with both local and national businesses that will offer the very best experiences to their students.

"At a time when some companies may argue that they are just too busy trying to stay afloat to engage with education, we are continuing to get a positive response from our 600 supporting employers who firmly believe that investing in business education for young people is of the utmost importance."