Something’s brewing at town secondary school
Pupils at an East Kilbride high school are now qualified baristas after launching their own coffee shop providing hot drinks for parents’ nights, meetings and school events.
Calder Blend Barista was created by 11 students from Calderglen High School taking part in the Prince’s Trust Achieve programme which is designed to provide an experiential learning environment for young people.
To g e t h e r, T h e P r i n c e’s T r u s t a n d Homesense have helped more than 1900 young people in local communities to develop the skills and confidence needed to engage and succeed in education, raising £830k since the partnership began in 2016.
The Bar i s t a, t he f i r s t project of i t s k i n d i n S o u t h L a na r k s h i r e, a i ms t o introduce young people to enterprise whilst also developing their confidence, communication and customer service skills.
Al t h o u g h Cal d e r Bl e n d Ba r i s t a i s b a s e d i n t h e s c h o o l i t c a n b e c o me mobile for events and with the additional support of Largs Printing Company and l ocal business Miko, t he pupils have created unique branding, purchased equipment and received a City and Guilds qualification in Barista skills.
Liz White, head teacher, Calderglen High explanined: “I’m delighted that our pupils and staff have taken up this opportunity so enthusiastically in order to add value to their qualifications and skills portfolio.
“These type of activities will enhance their employability potential and they will have regular opportunities to put their new skills into practice and develop a range of others by serving staff at the Barista each week, supporting school events and providing hospitali t y f or guests, as well as engaging in fundraising to support various charities.
“By combining elements of the Achieve curriculum with their Barista, the pupils will be able to work towards a Level 4 or Level 5 qualification in Customer Service and Enterprise, which will gain them an Award in Personal Development and Employability (PDE).
“I f t h e p u p i l s d e c i d e t o c o nt i nu e with the programme in the next school year, they can further supplement their experience with additional qualifications in career planning, teamwork and digital skills.”
Now more than ever, disadvantaged young people need your support to achieve their potential in such challenging times.
Homesense is supporting the programme by selling specially designed notebooks in their stores nationwide for just £4.99, of which at least £2 will be donated to those in need of support.
Furthermore, shoppers can purchase a bag for life at the till, with 25p of each purchase going straight to The Prince’s
Trust.
Craig Wilson, senior head of operations, Prince’s Trust in Scotland said: “Our partnership with Calderglen High to help them launch the first Prince’s Trust funded school enterprise in South Lanarkshire will be of huge benefit not only to this year’s Achieve group, but the school as a whole.
“The Bar i s t a wil l enable pupils t o develop key transferable skills that will equip them for the world of work and enterprise, whilst gaining a Prince’s Trust qualification at the same time. We’ve all been ver y impressed with the pupils’ enthusiasm and creativity from the start and the teachers drive and support in bringing Calder Blend Barista to fruition.”