One young person who has found his ideal job through a JGW opportunity is Edward Julien, 19. He has progressed to become a craft cuisine foundation apprentice at the Castle Inn, Newport, Pembrokeshire.
“I have always wanted to be a chef,” he said. “I had an interview for a course at College but decided that learning on the job was better suited to me, with the added bonus of being paid.
“Jobs Growth Wales opportunity has worked out well for me because I have progressed to an apprenticeship and head chef Alison Richards is very supportive. It’s a brilliant place to work and I want to continue progressing and get qualifications.
“My advice to young people looking for a job is to keep their options open and seriously consider Jobs Growth Wales opportunities.”
“The Jobs Growth Wales opportunity has worked out well for me because I have progressed to an apprenticeship and head chef Alison Richards is very supportive.
It’s a brilliant place to work and I want to continue progressing and get qualifications.”
– Edward Julien
Former culinary lecturer Alison, joint owner of the Castle Inn with her husband, Glyn, said: “Ed works hard, is keen to learn new things and is growing in confidence and maturity every day in his role.
“He is encouraged to come up with ideas and to try new things because that’s an important part of the learning process.
“I think Jobs Growth Wales is excellent because we found Ed through it. We now want to take on another young person on the programme who can also progress to an apprenticeship and grow with the business.”
The Welsh Government’s JGW programme, which is supported by the European Social Fund, is designed to provide young, work-ready people with a valuable opportunity to kick start their career.
New recruits are paid at least the national minimum wage for a minimum of 25 hours a week and the programme reimburses half of their wage cost for the first six months.
Search vacancies here
