Advanced Workshops
The Advanced Workshops were driven by a question most of us have been asked since childhood: What do you want to be when you grow up? The truth is, far too many young people are expected to answer that question without ever having touched the tools, walked the floor, or felt the reality of a career firsthand. These workshops were designed to change that — placing participants directly into the working environments of fashion and tailoring, hospitality and catering, and automotive mechanics, where they could experience each profession not as an abstract idea, but as something real, tangible, and within reach.
Automotive Mechanics
Nilina Hope's Automotive Workshop gave participants a genuine, grease-under-the-fingernails introduction to vehicle mechanics, conducted entirely on real cars in an outdoor setting where participants — dressed in industry-standard high-visibility red and navy overalls with reflective strips — worked directly under an experienced instructor to cover foundational tasks including inspecting engine bays, removing and examining brake discs and suspension components, topping up fluids, handling spanners and wrenches, and learning to identify mechanical parts. One of the most striking aspects was the workshop's inclusivity, with female students working confidently alongside their peers — a powerful reminder that Nilina Hope is actively opening doors in traditionally male-dominated fields.
Hospitality and Catering
Nilina Hope's Hospitality and Catering Workshop put participants through a practical, kitchen-based evaluation where young people — dressed in branded t-shirts, striped aprons, and proper hairnets reflecting the food hygiene standards taught during the programme — worked alongside a professional chef instructor to prepare a multi-component meal from scratch, tackling techniques from coating and frying chicken to building pizzas, preparing coleslaw with a mandoline slicer, and plating scrambled eggs with fresh garnishes using wholesome, varied produce. What made the evaluation particularly impressive was the full hospitality cycle participants were expected to complete — not just cooking, but plating and serving — as finished dishes of penne pasta with fried chicken, coleslaw, and decorative sauce drizzles were carefully arranged on white plates, then carried with composure to a formally laid dining table with a crisp white tablecloth and cutlery, mirroring the standards of a real restaurant or catering setting and giving participants a genuine taste of working in the hospitality industry.
Fashion and Tailoring
Nilina Hope's Fashion and Tailoring Workshop brought together eager young participants for a hands-on introduction to tailoring, where skilled instructors guided them through the full garment-making process — from taking precise body measurements and sketching designs to threading and operating industrial JUKI sewing machines and pressing seams with steam irons. The workshop floor buzzed with focused concentration, punctuated by moments of laughter and camaraderie, as participants guided fabric through machines and worked through each step of construction with care. By the end, students had produced finished garments they could display with quiet pride, embodying the spirit of Nilina Hope: young people being equipped with practical, marketable skills that open doors to economic independence and creative expression.