Zest Employee shares about her Fife Youth Job Contract

Lynsey Mitchell is a smart and hard working young woman from Fife and Zest has benefited immensely from her thanks to the Fife Youth Job Contract. According to the Opportunities Fife website, the Fife Youth Job Contract (FYJC) is the Fife Council response to high levels of unemployment within the 16-24 year old age group. They are seeking to deliver support to help this group gain and sustain employment. Working with employers and Opportunities Fife Partners, they are looking to create additional opportunities for the young people of Fife. Zest has experienced first hand the benefits of the FYJC. Lynsey has become a vital part of Zest and is a key leader on the team. We have asked Lynsey to share a bit about herself and her experience with the FYJC.

Meet Lynsey:

“I have been on a Fife Youth Job Contract for over a year and I’m happy to say that the scheme has helped me get closer to accomplishing my dream job.

Ever since I first volunteered at The Lion Park in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2011, I have known exactly what my dream job looked like. I returned for another stint at the park in 2013 and my already huge passion for these animals just grew and grew. It was literally the best time of my life at my favourite place in the world.

Back home in Largoward, I’ve been working towards my dream of making a career at The Lion Park.

This is where my Fife Youth Job Contract has been an enormous help. The FYJC has allowed me to get a job in a vibrant independent cafe in St. Andrew’s (Zest), where I’ve worked hard and taken advantage of some excellent training.

Working in the cafe has improved my future job prospects in numerous ways. I have gained great confidence and improved my people skills by dealing with the public daily and having a wonderful, supportive group of colleagues. Latterly, I have been given more responsibility too and have learned useful techniques in training and mentoring others. Where before this might have scared me, the experience has taught me how effective I can be in ways I wouldn’t have imagined.

For all that I’ve learnt at Zest, the truly great thing is that the skill set I’ve picked up is transferable, and will definitely help me immensely as I move on to my new career.

In the New Year I’ll be going to Florida for a three month internship at Big Cat Rescue, and from there I’m going back to South Africa and my favourite place for a full-time job. My dream has come true, with many thanks to my Fife Youth Job Contract.”

Thank you, Lynsey, for all of your hard work at Zest and congratulations on all of your success so far.