Hong Kong-founded Cookie Smiles announces its latest initiative, the Shining Star Programme, delivering career opportunities and opening up employment routes for students with disabilities.
In their latest community endeavour, Cookie Smiles, a social enterprise based in Hong Kong, has launched the Shining Star Programme. Partnering with the Shine Skills Centre, a member institute of the VTC Group that provides skill-based training programmes for students with disabilities, to educate, empower, and build employment opportunities, jointly with The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong.
The Trial Work Placement Scheme aims to foster passionate young talents in the food and beverage (F&B) sector with adept skills and real-time workplace experience, essentially enabling and better equipping them for future career and employment opportunities. The programme is set to take in students from select courses offered by the Shine Skills Centre, subsequently finding them internship placements within The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong.
Jill Goh, the General Manager of The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong commented, “As we continuously strive in making a difference to support social inclusion, we are extremely excited to be part of this meaningful inauguration with Cookie Smiles on providing hospitality career opportunities to the students of the Shine Skills Centre. We can’t wait to welcome them to be part of our family.”
Cookie Smiles, a homegrown social enterprise under the Edible Artists Global Academy Association, is committed to its mission to create ease and offer training opportunities for disadvantaged groups, alongside its passion for the ultimate comfort food – cookies.
“I’ve been a big supporter of The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong since 2017 and I am very excited that they are the first hotel to join Cookie Smiles’ Shining Star programme. I look forward to working with them in the long term,” expressed the co-founder of Cookie Smiles, Jo Soo-Tang.
The Student Counsellor at Shine Skills Centre, Ruby Kwok, added, “Shine Skills Centre looks forward to working with Cookie Smiles for its Shining Star Programme which offers valuable opportunities to our students.”
Furthermore, to effectively facilitate the programme and assist the students throughout their journey, The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong will implement a buddy system, that aims to provide extra guidance and support during their time at the work arrangements.
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