We provide vocational training and placement referral to the sponsored students, so that they can find a job after graduation.
Our vocational training school, Shanghai Young Bakers (“SYB”), is a charity program providing free training in French bakery to marginalized Chinese youth aged 17 to 23, enabling them to find qualified jobs and lead independent lives after graduation. SYB empowers disadvantaged young adults who had to drop out of school because of their family situation (parents’ death, sickness, disability or imprisonment) and are excluded from stable employment.
The Impact of This Program
30 students each year start a new life as bakers or pastry chefs and are able to support themselves and their families.
In 2016, a graduate of and current instructor at our social enterprise, Shanghai Young Bakers, was a member of the China team that received 4th prize at the Louis Lesaffre Bakery World Cup baking contest in Paris. This is an international contest that is held once every four years, and this was the first time a team from China had advanced to the finals. For their accomplishment, they were awarded the Special Prize from the Jury, Lesaffre CSR Awards. This goes to show that our students are not in any way inferior to others. When given a chance, they too can excel by international standards.
