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Certificate of Work Readiness case study: iCafe

Cafe chain brews up praise for the CWR

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Glasgow businessman Umer Malik is one of hundreds of employers taking part in the Certificate of Work Experience.

The award-winning coffee house and internet cafe chain iCafe has also tapped into the Modern Apprenticeship programme.

Umer said: "Young people bring bright ideas to his business. They are a very important part of our strategy – they bring enthusiasm and we learn from them as they make up a big chunk of our clientele.”

The Certificate of Work Readiness is designed to create ‘job ready’ employees who are taking their first steps into the world of work.

You’ll offer them 10 weeks of work experience – with free support from a local training provider - and then assess their performance as part of an SQA qualification.

Why it works

Here Umer gives a rundown of the benefits of employers getting involved:

  • The 190 hours of work experience is a great way to see if the candidate can grow with our company.
  • Taking on someone with limited work experience can be a challenge. With CWR, it’s reassuring to know I had support from the training provider who had covered the workplace essentials with them.
  • It’s exciting to work with a blank canvas, someone who has an open mind and is more adaptable to change.
  • I am supporting them in gaining an SQA accredited qualification.
  • I am able to motivate and develop my existing staff by offering mentor roles.

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