Helping young people into employment is an important part of the ethos of PD Ports which is why the company is delighted to be supporting Daisy Chain’s employability scheme.
Frans Calje, Chief Executive Officer, and Kirsten Donkin, Head of PR, Marketing and Communications, called in to the charity’s superstore in Stockton to meet students and drop off a cheque for £2,000 to help support the scheme.
Daisy Chain’s employability course works with young adults on the autistic spectrum or who are going through the diagnostic process, to gain qualifications in employability skills as well as valuable work experience in the charity’s superstore at Portrack Lane in Stockton.
The course covers a wide range of topics including health and safety, food hygiene, manual handling and customer care. Students also have the opportunity to practice interview skills and take part in an enterprise project.
Frans and Kirsten met Emma and Sean who described the skills they were learning through the employability course including applying for jobs and writing CVs as well as practical experience working in the Daisy Chain shop sorting donations, pricing them and gaining valuable team working skills.
Emma said: “I am really enjoying the course. I also work in the coffee shop in store and I like serving the customers. It’s really good work experience for me. I want to be able to get a job in the future.”
Frans said: “It’s important that schemes like this get the support they need to help young people gain the skills they need to get a job in the future and achieve their independence.
“Courses which support young people overcome any issues they have make a huge difference to their lives. It gives them confidence and builds up their self-esteem so they can believe in themselves and the skills they have gained. That’s why we are delighted to be able to support the Daisy Chain employability programme. It’s fantastic to see for myself the huge impact it has on young people’s lives and just how much they are enjoying learning.”
Sarah Moore, Daisy Chain employability support worker, added, “It’s brilliant that companies like PD Ports support us and take the time to meet the students and see the impact of that support. Emma, Sean and all our students have grown hugely in confidence as they develop their skills and potential. It’s wonderful for us to see them come through the door with a smile on their face, ready to learn and work. We really appreciate all the help we can get because we have a waiting list of students for the course.”
