Harrogate Chocolate Factory doesn’t only make delicious chocolate. It is also the stepping stone for many young adults with learning disabilities and autism. Here at the chocolate factory, our interns learn many skills that they can then transfer into the world of work when they are ready to enter it.
For example; our trainees learn how to use machinery in a safe and professional manner, making sure that each batch is made to perfection. Here is a picture of Dominic on his first ever shift in the chocolate factory. Not only is he rocking his chef whites and hair net, he is also treating the machinery with respect by pouring the sugar into the stone melangers slowly and carefully.
They learn hygiene and health and safety standards so they can keep themselves and others safe within the workplace. (Here is Edmund and Sarah learning about the hazards of chemicals and what each symbol of chemicals mean).
They learn precise and nimble work while wrapping the chocolate which builds up their dexterity and patience. Wrapping is a repetitive job which can be quite hard to master, but step by step our trainees have been building this skill which can be transferred into many different job positions. Here is Emma who wrapped over 50 chocolate bars completely independently.
Whether they want to work in a factory, an office, in retail or catering, confidence building and team work is an important part in any industry which they build while working at the Harrogate Chocolate Factory. No matter what kind of profession our young people want to go into, they are learning valuable life and employment skills to give them the best opportunities when they are finally ready to leave Skills Bridge and enter into the world of work.
