Taste of Eden

Helping the Cornish unemployed back into work

Taste of Eden is an inspiring programme designed to give unemployed individuals in Cornwall the skills, confidence and experience to get back into paid work.

Since it began in 2008, Taste of Eden has welcomed more than 120 people through its doors, taking them on a personal journey to overcome the personal barriers that stand in the way of achieving their goals.

What happens on the Taste of Eden programme

Financed by the European Social Fund as a way of extending employment opportunities in a relatively deprived region, the scheme draws on the Eden Project site and workplace to offer participants a powerful experience. Taste of Eden includes several key elements:

Taste of Eden immersion days

Individuals visit Eden for an extensive behind-the-scenes tour, learning how the tourist attraction is run and meeting the diverse teams that make the visitor experience what it is. They also take part in a staff induction day that introduces Eden as a workplace. By the end of these two days they are encouraged to choose three areas of interest for their forthcoming work experience.

Work placement

The goal of the 13-week, unpaid placement is to give participants the skills and confidence to move into employment and to help them identify any needs for further training. Many undertake their placement at Eden, in one of the teams chosen during their immersion day; others do theirs at an organisation or business within the local area.

Skills workshops

During their 13-week placement at Eden, participants choose from a series of workshops that encourage ‘good working’, including:

• stress management
• time keeping
• team working
• communication skills
• key skills (numeracy and literacy)
• CV writing, interview techniques and job searching

Personal action plans

Monthly meetings with participants give them an opportunity to assess their progress and plan the next steps need to get into employment, either at Eden or elsewhere.

How to take part in Taste of Eden

If you or someone you know would benefit from Taste of Eden, please contact Jeni Lewitt on 07525 805045 or jlewitt@edenproject.com. We welcome referrals from individuals, friends, family members or agencies such as JobCentre Plus or the Probation service.

Ricky’s story: From the wrong side of the law to a job at Eden

Ricky Lawlor from Bodmin, Cornwall, loves working with his hands, on complicated schematics, finding solutions to problems – so it’s no surprise that he’d always wanted to be a plumber.

But life took a few detours; he found himself on the wrong side of the law as a teenager and, halfway through a plumbing course, ended up in a hostel on benefits and with a driving ban.

Accepted as a trainee chef for Fifteen Cornwall, an apprentice scheme inspired by Jamie Oliver’s London-based restaurant, Ricky got back on track towards a career - but his heart wasn’t into being a chef. It was there he came across Taste of Eden and decided to apply for a work placement in Eden’s maintenance team.

The intricate plumbing in the Biomes was like a dream come true for the young man, and his knowledge and passion meant he fitted in seamlessly during the 13 weeks. It hasn’t been all straightforward since then, but through hard work, tenacity and some good old-fashioned tough love, Ricky is now a paid, full-time member of the Eden maintenance team.

What’s more, he is now doing an NVQ in Plumbing at Cornwall College and will finally earn the qualification he so fully deserves.

 

Taste of Eden is supported by: