JFE Shoji Corporation and JFE Shoji Service Corporation invited Tokyo Metropolitan Adachi Special Education School students to hold six bake sales as part of their practical training. This is part of the JFE Shoji Group’s FY2023 social contribution initiatives.
This activity started in 2021 after JFE Shoji Service employees visited the school, learned that it held local bake sales as part of its social studies curriculum, and suggested holding bake sales at the company office. The sales have become so popular that lines form before each one begins, and on some days the baked goods offered sell out within half an hour.
The students handle every aspect of these events, including bringing in and arranging the baked goods, sterilizing the trays, and working the cash registers. The employees buying the goods are surveyed on what they want to eat, and new items are added each time. Many employees have requested more savory items, for example, since the initial lineup contained many sweet ones. With the addition of new offerings such as chikuwa (fish cake) bread and curry tuna corn bread, the lineup was even more extensive this year.
Holding bake sales several times per year has allowed the students to create newer and better baked goods, and the variety and volume of baked goods has gradually increased as well. This has allowed us to see the growth of these students up close. The JFE Shoji Group will continue its social contribution activities by providing opportunities for students to gain work experience.