Celebration for Caerphilly learners and tutors

A 20-year-old business student from Porth is hoping to use her experience volunteering at SkillsCymru – one of Wales’ largest career and skills events, taking place later this month – to help expand her family’s bakery business in Tonyrefail.

Rosie Davies, who is currently studying a Level 3 BTEC in Business at Coleg y Cymoedd, was hand-picked to help out at the event after applying through her college, and will be coordinating and running the social media channels during SkillsCymru, taking place at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff from 22-23 October.

The business student will work with a team of 40 other event volunteers, who will all have the opportunity to develop communication, organisation and team-working skills at the SkillsCymru event in Cardiff.

Rosie applied to volunteer at the event because she is hoping that the experience will provide her with practical, hands-on experience in marketing and event management. Since starting her business course last September, Rosie has been using the skills she has learned and is applying them to help generate new business for her mum’s bakery in Tonyrefail as well as hoping to use her business acumen to set up her own business.

Rosie will focus on trying to branch out the bakery into new markets by selling her mum’s freshly made bread, sandwiches and cakes to coffee shops, tea rooms and nursing homes across the county.

Rosie said, “My mum’s business has so much potential to grow and expand within our local community. My course has taught me how to develop existing businesses by looking for new markets to break in to. I identified the opportunity for my mum’s business earlier this year when I was chatting to other business students and decided to use the skills and knowledge I have learned during my course to help grow the business.

“I was delighted to be selected to coordinate the social media at SkillsCymru because I want to understand, and learn how to apply social media for commercial purposes so I can use it to help mine, and my mum’s business to succeed and prosper. It’s all very exciting.”

Caroline Challoner from Cazbah, the organisation running the volunteer programme, said: “As well as being a brilliant way to gain work experience to help them in their chosen careers, the volunteers at SkillsCymru will simultaneously have a good opportunity find out about the vast number of career options available to them in Wales.

“Rosie is a bright, intelligent young woman with real business acumen and a drive to succeed. We’re confident she’ll excel in her role at SkillsCymru, which promises to be a first-class, unmissable event for those looking for inspiration into jobs, learning and skill opportunities across Wales.”

The volunteers have been recruited from schools and education providers across Wales to carry out roles including film presenters, social media coordinators, evaluators and stewards.

Over 40 organisations have already signed up to be a part of SkillsCymru 2014, including NHS Wales, the Royal Air Force, Navy and Marines, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Cymru, Welsh Government (Food and Drink), Visit Wales, S4C, The Princes Trust – Cymru and the British Army. This year’s events are being organised by Prospects and Cazbah, and supported by the Welsh Government and Careers Wales and part funded by the European Social Fund.

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