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It is our mission at Workpays to ensure that all of our learners can secure a successful career and achieve their dreams. For Sandija Sprukle, her passion combined with our determination to offer support wherever possible, helped her to set up her own bakery business called ‘Because it’s Delicious’.
Sandija’s career in England began when she moved here in 2011 and secured a job with high-street chain, Pret-a-Manger. She then interviewed for a position at the Dubai Airport store and was successful. She worked in Dubai for two and a half years, training other members of staff and eventually going on to become Team Leader, and then the Assistant Manager.
She said: ‘’Working in Dubai was an amazing experience, but it was a lot of hard work along with long days. I was missing my mum and sister and I wanted to start a family, so I decided to come back to England and settle down.’’
Once Sandija was back in England, Pret-a-Manger was forced to make many members of staff redundant due to COVID-19. Because Sandija was part-time and not flexible due to being a single parent, she was unfortunately made redundant. However, she then started to discover her passion for baking.
She said: ‘’I started baking as a hobby when my son was born and would often practice when he was asleep. I had always been artistic and loved to draw, but I never realised combining this with cooking would make the dream combination!
‘’I started to discover I was a talented baker and slowly began selling cakes just to friends and family. As I started to learn more through self-studying and trying new recipes, I realised that I wanted to start my own business.’’
Sandija approached Job Centre Plus, who then referred her to the Restart programme at Workpays. She then began to have employment coaching, helping her to produce business plans, research the market, and understand her competition.
Sandija said: ‘’My employment coach helped boost my confidence and gave me a business mindset to succeed. We would often have Zoom calls with other people who had the same goals and passions as me. We would learn many tips and tricks, including things we may not have considered, such as insurance.’’
Once Sandija had started her own business, Workpays then assisted her through in-work support, making sure the business was thriving.
She stated: “The business is going great and knowing I can manage it alongside bringing up my children is fantastic. I was able to work right up until I gave birth, I can bake from home, and spend more time with my family. Workpays have enabled me to achieve this.
‘’If you have a passion but lack confidence, then Workpays can help, as the staff are great and give you all the support that you need. I would highly recommend their programmes to others.”
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