Posted in News on Monday, June 6, 2022 by The Beachcomber Correspondent
A new start in life for 93 young people through Projet Employabilité Jeunes (PEJ).
Fondation Espoir Développement Beachcomber (FED) hosted a graduation ceremony for the 93 trainees forming part of the 2021 cohort of Projet Employabilité Jeunes (PEJ) at Trou aux Biches Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa and Paradis Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa on 17 and 20 May 2022 respectively. Despite the challenges posed by the health crisis over the last two years, the Beachcomber Group has remained committed to this programme promoting social integration through employment.
PEJ helps young school drop-outs from vulnerable backgrounds integrate into society and employment through a training programme that includes a refresher course as well as hospitality training and internship. It was launched by FED in 2004 and has given a new start in life to more than 3,000 young people in 18 years.
This year again, it was a graduation ceremony filled with emotion for the 93 young people aged between 16 and 22 who used their willpower, perseverance and great determination to succeed in this nine-month training course combining theoretical sessions and internships.
“Well done to all of you who have followed the training since August 2021. You have maintained constant levels of attendance in spite of the health requirements. Your efforts are now rewarded. You have achieved a first milestone with this certificate and we hope it will serve as a stepping stone to a rewarding career,” said Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels’ CSR Manager, Viren Vythelingum, to the beneficiaries. He also thanked the Beachcomber Group’s management for its ongoing support of PEJ for the past 18 years.
The testimonies of the young PEJ graduates were a highlight of the ceremony. Among them was 19-year-old Lorna Marie, who is the eldest of six children. “I was attending Saint Bartholomew’s College in Port Louis. I had to repeat my Form V, but I dropped out of school due to a lack of funds to pay for the School Certificate exams. It was through a friend that I first heard about PEJ. I registered without much conviction. It was a real surprise when the PEJ team called to inform me that I had been selected for the programme,” she says. Lorna started the course in June 2021. After the theoretical training, the young girl joined Trou aux Biches Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa to gain experience in the hotel industry. “That internship changed my life! I discovered a trade that I didn’t know about, that of a Kids Club host and I loved it! Those six months at the Kids Club helped me find my calling! After completing PEJ training, I was admitted to the Hotel School for an NC3 Leisure & Entertainment course. Once I graduate, I dream of working as a Kids Club host at Trou aux Biches Beachcomber,” she adds with a smile on her face.
Like Lorna and her fellow 2021 trainees, thousands of young people have learned to embrace their future, elevate their drive to succeed and improve their employability through the training programme offered by Fondation Espoir Développement Beachcomber.