A taste of hospitality for Fife youngsters from Costa

Liam Reed, associate retail development manager, East Scotland, Nadine Greens, store manager, and Lewis Kellock, Kirkcaldy High School pupil.

Pupils from Kirkcaldy, Glenrothes and St Columbas High Schools worked at various outlets in three towns across the Kingdom.

The experience started in October and runs through to the end of the year with pupils working one day a week.

Having been nominated by their schools, the young people went through a selection process event at Kirkcaldy High School where they heard from local branch managers about the wealth of different opportunities available within Costa. They also gained valuable interview experience at the event and built on their vital skills of listening, problem solving, creativity, team working and leadership.

The work experience also highlighted the importance of timekeeping, customer service and employability skills with participants keeping a series of logbooks to record and recognise their progress.

Lewis Kellock from Kirkcaldy High School took part in the programme and found it a really useful experience for his future career.

He said: “It’s been good and I have learned lots of new things over the past few months.

“Coming in to Costa has been a lot harder than I expected, I thought making coffee was just pushing a button. Doing this has been good work experience, I now know what to expect!”

Nadine Greens, store manager at Costa Coffee in Kirkcaldy Retail Park, said: “I think this programme has been a wonderful way to connect with our local community and provide some real opportunities for young people. Involving young people in our company is a really exciting prospect which allows us to create a pipeline for growth. I remember being at school myself and not being sure of what I wanted to do and my career at Costa took off from there.”

Councillor Tony Martin, Fife Council youth ambassador, added: “This opportunity offered by Costa Coffee is another example of the way businesses can engage with schools across Fife to offer meaningful programmes of work experience to young people.

“This is a key experience to help young people more effectively make the transition from school to the world of work.”