Tom started with CRCC on our Learn Your Way programme at our Penzance provision and studied with us for a year before joining the Work Your Way programme. These two programmes run alongside one another with each student’s journey being unique, allowing each individual to benefit from all available support.

He came to the programme from college with no direction of where he wanted to go, however with the support of our education staff he decided to look for a café placement. 

Through the work experience programme in Penzance Tom explored different working opportunities and identified this area of hospitality as one he wanted to pursue. Tom had previous experience working in a café but lacked the confidence to talk to customers-so he decided a placement would help him develop skills and confidence.

Poppies Community Café offered him a placement starting in January 2024, two days a week with one to one support. Since starting Tom has built up confidence and is now interacting with customers, taking orders, serving food and is loving his time at the café; ‘I like working the coffee machine, making drinks and meeting people’. 

Placements like this are an incredible opportunity for learners to gain independence and skills, Tutor Graeme says: ‘He’s blossomed really…we found the right environment for him. ‘

Once this placement ends Tom will continue onto CRCC’s supported internship programme, and hopes to find a café placement where he can continue to learn and pursue his interests in coffee and barista training. 

The supported internship programme is one of the two separate schemes within the Work Your Way programme where the student is based primarily with an external employer for an extended work placement with the support of a job coach. The other route the programme offers is work experience which is designed to identify a chosen field of work interest before going on to the supported internship programme. Students can benefit from both schemes, with each individual’s needs being catered for.

If you want to learn more about the learning and education programmes CRCC provides click here.