Fresh students in practice! :

Fresh students in practice!

Nisa, a young student, in front of the Lotus Blanc

Our students in vocational training, like Nisa, have just started practicing in the PSE workshops: the restaurant, the garage, the beauty salon...

This month has been busy for the training restaurant of PSE the "Lotus Blanc", since the 1st year students have just started their practical lessons! Nisa is 17 years old and she experiences for the first time the effervescence of the lunch service! "After the first week of training, I'm tired but very happy!"

Nisa grew up in the province of Battambang and received support from several NGOs during her childhood. Indeed, her parents were too poor to take care of her and placed her in the care of organizations when she was 7. However, none of them could offer the option of a professional program after grade 9, so she was redirected to PSE. She left for the capital and began first with a preparatory year (Foundation Year Studies) in order to consolidate the foundations of the academic programs and to evolve towards a particular professional career.

During this year, she participated in the Training Show of the five PSE schools where students demonstrate their skills. From that moment, Nisa knew she wanted to study at the School of Hospitality and Tourism: ‘’I used to work as a waitress in small shops when I lived in the province, so I was so impressed by the quality of the training when I arrived at PSE’’. Now a student in Food & Beverage Service, she confided little anecdotes of her first week at the Lotus Blanc: ‘’I was so stressed at the beginning, it was even difficult for me to pour water, but customers reassured me and now I’m more confident’’.

Nisa during her service

The training restaurant of PSE allows students to practice different types of cuisine to increase their chances of finding a good job on the outside, which is apparently very appreciated by Nisa: ‘’My dream is to be a restaurant supervisor in Phnom Penh, but I know I want to work in a multicultural environment, meaning I want to serve different types of food, I want to meet foreigners, because I’m so curious about world dishes! At PSE, I have the opportunity to discover dishes I had never heard of, and I also improve my English a lot by talking to customers.’’. The goal of the PSE Institute is to provide a quality learning experience that prepares students for industry, so they have the keys to find qualified employment in the future. We wish Nisa the best of luck, looking forward to seeing her improvements over the next few months!