From Steps to Work trainee to Strawberry Field employee

Strawberry Field is delighted to celebrate the success of Jonathan, a trainee on the Steps to Work programme.

Johnathan joined Steps to Work seeking support to find paid employment in the hospitality industry. Despite having NVQs in Professional Food and Beverage Service and Food Production and Cooking, Jonathan was struggling with confidence and found it difficult to showcase his skill set in interviews. 

He joined the Steps to Work programme in June 2025 with a desire to develop his social skills and after successfully completing the Work Readiness Programme, Jonathan progressed to his first work placement in our Strawberry Field café. He took on every opportunity given to him, including serving canapes to prestigious guests at our summer graduation.  

Hema Fryar, Employment Development Coach at Strawberry Field said, "It has been lovely to see Jonathan’s confidence develop during his time on the programme. From the beginning, he expressed a strong interest in hospitality. He has demonstrated a strong work ethic alongside a positive and proactive attitude. He has shown genuine enthusiasm for his role, and it is great to see that he has now been able to secure paid work within the hospitality industry.”

Through his hard work, commitment and genuine passion for the role, he has truly impressed the team. We are proud to share that his efforts have now led to him securing paid employment in our café.

A fantastic achievement and a great example of what the Steps to Work programme can support people to achieve.

Congratulations Jonathan and welcome to the team!