At Borgo, after their training the young people experience in practice what they have learned by participating in an apprenticeship. This represents the first real opportunity for them to roll up their sleeves and get to work.
Last year, thanks to two projects won by the "Give them back their wings" Association - inspired by Salesian values and operating at Borgo Ragazzi - as part of a project announced by the City of Rome to assist Unaccompanied Foreign Minors, it is possible to provide specific training for about 30 young people to become waiters. Three of them were given the chance of gaining experience in three different companies while receiving a monthly stipend.
They were welcomed for 3 months at a restaurant, a bar and a pizzeria, thanks to the willingness of the owners who gave them the chance to prove themselves and gain experience in a work context. In this way, they were able to work in different areas, making and serving coffee, waiter service and clearing away the plates and dishes. They learned what it means to relate to an employer, to customers, and to tutors and colleagues with whom they were working.
In addition, they had the support of a teacher from the Reception Centre who followed them step by step, going to the workplace to see them at work, and attending meetings to assess what they were learning.
The work experience project ended last January. The young people are currently pursuing their education and integration into Italian society through other specific projects. The hope is that more and more young people can find opportunities for training and accompaniment in the workplace, through dedicated programmes and companies that are willing to accept them.
