Joyce meets trainees at Haverfordwest charity training café (Pembrokeshire College)

Students at Sartori’s Haverfordwest charity coffee shop had a surprise visit on Friday (2 November) when local Assembly Member Joyce Watson dropped in for a cup of coffee and to find out how the programme is benefitting learners.
After a chance encounter on Bridge Street, as trainees handed out promotional leaflets for the café, Joyce decided to find out more about the work being done by Pembrokeshire College and the Paul Sartori Foundation to equip young people with the skills they need to progress into employment.
Joyce chatted to College staff who have been instrumental in setting up the 13-week ‘Steps to Employment’ programme before finding out first-hand how the project is changing the lives of young people.
Joyce Watson, who is a member of the Business and Enterprise Committee at the Welsh Assembly, said: “This is an excellent programme that builds confidence as well as equipping learners with some valuable skills which they can take with them to any employer. The tourism industry is a major employer here in Pembrokeshire and this programme can supply the sector with people who are job ready and willing to work. The young people I met are truly inspiring and deserve to go on to find employment when they complete the programme – I wish them every success.”
Chris Smith is currently on the programme and was the trainee who approached Mrs Watson in the street. The Haverfordwest-based AM commented on the noticeable increase in Chris’s self-confidence since their first meeting and his ability to interact with customers – a skill valued by all employers.
Jack Williams, who is nearing the end of his traineeship, says he is sorry to be moving on but feels the programme has helped prepare him for the world of work. Jack said: “This project has been a real turning point for me. When I started working here I was really shy but now I love talking to the customers. I have learnt loads of new skills including handling cash, Welsh, food hygiene, emergency first aid and customer service. I feel that I am now much better prepared to look for work and my confidence has really grown.”
The Paul Sartori Café in Bridge Street, Haverfordwest, is open from 10am-2pm from Monday to Friday.
The 13-week training scheme operates throughout the year, with proceeds from the café going to the Paul Sartori Foundation, a charity offering specialised support, care and advice to those living with a life limiting illness. To find out more about the programme, contact Pembrokeshire College on 0800 9 776 788.
“Work Based Learning programmes operated through Welsh Government are part-financed by the European Union European Social Fund through The West Wales and the Valleys ESF Convergence Programme.”
Original Source: http://www.pembrokeshire.ac.uk/college/news/462