The Birdhouse opens its doors to new apprentices for the new school year
In August, our vocational training restaurant got back into the rhythm of the school year: 8 new apprentices (4 AFP and 4 CFC) joined our teams for the year 2024-2025. In total, 15 young people will be supported by 10 trainers and an integration coach for the coming school year.
It's a special year, because in 2024, Birdhouse is already celebrating its 5th anniversary. Created in 2019, the project has been developed to support young people who have dropped out of school by offering them a diploma programme. The young people supported by the programme face a range of personal problems that require real socio-educational support. To achieve this, they are accompanied on a daily basis by the social coach to help them and enable them to concentrate on their training.
The strength of the model lies in the day-to-day contact between customers and apprentices. This enables them to grasp the realities and challenges of the professional world while learning. Years of experience also enable our teams to adapt the training they provide to meet specific needs. For example, we now have one of our trainers entirely dedicated to training.
Since the project started, 18 young people who took the training course have graduated. All the young graduates are now in employment. Despite the challenges encountered, the project continues to prove its worth: the 2023-2024 academic year had a 100% success rate with 4 new graduates.
"If I had to describe my experience at Birdhouse in 3 words, I would say: future, desire and confidence. Since my training, I've had the desire to do something, I've gained self-confidence, and I can now plan my future." Fieruz, young graduate of a CFC in 2023
We are also proud to be able to count on the trust of the Republic and Canton of Geneva, thanks to a partnership with the Hospice général's vocational integration service (SIP) and the Social Cohesion Department (DCS), which will help to sustain the restaurant for the long term and open new possibilities for the future of the project. We're looking forward to the new year and to actively contributing to the reintegration of young people in difficulty in Geneva.
Come and meet our apprentices over lunch (Monday to Friday, 11.30am to 2pm). The premises can also be privatised in the evenings or at weekends. We look forward to welcoming you!