Studies show that the majority of high school students do not know what they want to do after school. Just growing up, fitting in and getting an idea of who they really are is tough and overwhelming enough. Still many have their parents pick a career path for them only to find later that it was not what they wanted to spend their lives doing.
Both educators and parents play an important role in preparing students for a positive transition as they take their big leap into the adult world, a task taken very seriously by the Mouton Foundation as they help prepare students for life after school by stimulating future-focused thinking and identification of key interests.
They have rolled out a 3-phase Personal Development program for the youth covering typical future life questions such as:
- How do I get from where I am to where I want to be?
- What are my challenges/obstacles and how do I overcome them?
In addition, students also get the opportunity to discuss these subjects in more depth with a life coach. At the end of the course students are required to present a business plan which includes a realistic, sustainable product or service using the entrepreneurial concepts taught in the course.
A third aspect of the Youth Program involves exposure to various production sectors to gain greater insight into career options available in their existing area of interest or hobby. Carmién Tea was one of the production units visited. Students were introduced to:
- Product development process
- Creative Design and Marketing, briefly touching on the Carmién business plan
- Sales and E-commerce
- An introduction to our product range, including a tea tasting
- A tour of our Processing and Packaging plants and
- A late lunch and a Tea & Nibble pairing experience at our Carmién Tea shop at De Tol Farm Deli.
In partnership with the Mouton Foundation, the social upliftment arm of Mouton Holdings and Carmién Tea, we aim to provide the necessary training and skills to equip the next generation towards a meaningful future and improve their quality of life.