Young People Building New Career Paths: Skills That Open Doors

Turning a passion for cooking into a career

Mohamad had always dreamed of working in the culinary field. Through cooking training, he developed practical techniques and learned about the standards and responsibilities of working in a professional kitchen.

He then joined a restaurant through a Cash-for-Work placement, where he gained hands-on experience alongside professional chefs, refined his skills, and built his confidence. Mohamad used the experience and skills he had gained to secure a position as a Chef de Partie at another restaurant.

“The training and workplace experience gave me the confidence to enter a professional kitchen and demonstrate my abilities,” says Mohamad. “Today, I am earning an income, improving my skills and saving towards my dream of opening my own restaurant. ” Today, Mohamad continues to develop his culinary expertise while saving towards his longer-term ambition of establishing a restaurant of his own when he returns to Syria.

Managing a financial services branch

After completing her education up to Grade 10, May struggled to find employment due to limited access to opportunities and a lack of market-relevant skills.

Motivated to build a more secure future, she enrolled in the digital literacy training, where she strengthened her technical, business and digital skills while building her confidence. She was then placed in a Cash-for-Work position at a nearby Whish Money and OMT store, giving her the opportunity to apply what she had learned in a real workplace.

May quickly demonstrated her reliability, competence, and ability to take on responsibility. Impressed by her performance, the business owner entrusted her with managing the branch independently.

“Before the training, I did not have the skills or confidence to find stable employment,” says May. “Now, I manage the branch, support customers and take responsibility for its daily operations. This opportunity has changed how I see myself and my future.”

May has now been successfully managing the branch for more than a year, gaining valuable professional experience and greater economic independence.

Renewing a dream of working in healthcare

Fatima’s dream of becoming a nurse was interrupted when financial hardship forced her to discontinue her nursing studies.

Through the Learning to Earning programme, she found another opportunity to pursue her ambition. Through hands-on nursing training and mentorship, Fatima strengthened her technical skills and developed the communication, teamwork, and patient-care competencies needed in healthcare settings. Today, she is completing a nursing internship at a healthcare institution, where she is applying her knowledge, caring for patients, and gaining practical experience to support her transition into the workforce.

“Because of financial difficulties, I could not continue my studies, but joining the programme opened a new door for me,” says Fatima. “I gained valuable nursing experience and learned how to care for patients with compassion, responsibility and teamwork. This experience brought me closer to my dream.”