Vocational Training and Career Development

Chi Heng staff provides vocational school counseling to junior high school graduates who do not wish to pursue a senior high school education. The consultation includes an overview of vocational schools and their programs, and sharing of experience by vocational school attendees and graduates sponsored by Chi Heng. Financial support is given to students who attend vocational schools.

Other than providing placement referral for students who wish to pursue vocational training, we also provide one type of vocational training ourselves. Our vocational training school, Shanghai Young Bakers (“SYB”), is a charity program providing free training in French bakery to marginalized Chinese youth aged 17 to 23, enabling them to find qualified jobs and lead independent lives after graduation. SYB empowers disadvantaged young adults who had to drop out of school because of their family situation (parents’ death, sickness, disability or imprisonment) and are excluded from stable employment. About 30 students each year start a new life as bakers or pastry chefs and are able to support themselves and their families.

Since October 2019, Shanghai Young Bakers has collaborated with Village 127, a social enterprise influenced by the philosophy of Chi Heng Foundation, to launch customized pastry services. Shanghai Young Bakers is mainly responsible for product development, technical support and marketing; production, sales and delivery are handled by Shanghai Young Bakers graduates working at Village 127. This cooperation project not only brings new income to Shanghai Young Bakers, but also provides new product knowledge and wider market coverage to social enterprises.

Visit Shanghai Young Bakers website for more details.