Annual Awards - Jack Williams
With the Annual Awards early next week we got in contact with the previous winner of the Most Committed WEX Youth Placement- Sponsored by Bens Buns - Jack Williams
Judges comments - Jack engaged with both the Work Ready Kāpiti work experience programmes and #EmployerMeet events and has shown true resilience in his work placement this year. Jack was placed at Bens Buns and went above and beyond, completing a bakery placement starting at 3 am and displayed punctuality, reliability and a can-do attitude taking the early starts in his stride.
How did you find being a part of the Work Ready Kāpiti programmes?
I found Work Ready Kapiti’s work experience program really helpful for getting the experience required to build up my CV and get my first proper part-time job working at KFC. I really enjoyed working at the bakery with Ben and the team and it taught me a lot about the work environment and showed me how rewarding it can be to produce something customers enjoy.
Where are you now
Currently, I am just about to finish year 13 and am heading off to study Barbering at Te Auaha next year. My work experience placement showed me that I much prefer working on my feet and doing things with my hands as opposed to sitting down at a desk and doing lots of work on the computer.
Any recommendations for current and future students?
My main recommendation for current and future students would be to go into whatever job you do with a positive attitude and focus on learning as much as possible and building up your skillset as much as you can, especially in areas such as customer service and dealing with people as those skills are the most transferable.
How did you find the Annual Awards and winning a category?
Winning the annual awards really motivated me and showed that I was capable of doing a lot more than I thought possible at the time. It gave me something really good to put on my CV and was brought up in multiple interviews when I was trying to find a part-time job.
What's your plan for the future?
My plan for the near future is to study Barbering at Te Auaha in town and to build up my skills in that area as much as possible. I have always been keen on starting a business so I am interested to see if that is something I could do in the future.
What is your top tip to other youth looking to join the workforce?
My top tip for anyone still in college looking for jobs, is to put your name out there and to apply to as many places as possible. Potential employers aren’t expecting people our age to have heaps of experience so a positive attitude and a strong work ethic goes a long way when they are
considering your application.
Any additional comments?
I’d just like to thank the team at Ben’s Buns and Work Ready Kāpiti for giving me the opportunity to complete the placement. It motivated me a lot and really helped me get my foot in the door when I was applying for part-time jobs.
