Aqsa Shaukat

Covered in a traditional headscarf, aQSA shoukat surprised us with her love for the camera. She took the lead in seating herself, according to where the light would complement her the most. Seeing her enthusiasmm, the team couldn’t wait to hear about her journey of self-empowerment and the role that PSDF played in it.

“I couldn’t countinue my studies after matriculation. I am the eldest at home so I decided to look for a job to support my father and provide for my siblings. But noboday wants to hire a simple matriculate,” shared Aqsa.

During her tiresome job search, Aqsa come across an ad by the College of Tourism and Hotel Management (COTHM), which was offering free of cost courses in the hospitality sector, under the PSDF banner. She applied for a course in Food & Beverage Management immediately.

“After completing the course, I got a job at Pizza Hut as a front-of-house (FOH) member of the staff. Food brings people happiness and I like to think that my job allows me to add happiness to our customers’ lives, ” expressed Aqsa. Here story doesn’t end there…

Aqsa has now continued with her studies and applied for a course in Restaurant Management at COTHM. Her story is a perfect example of the phrase – where there’s a will, there’s a way – as she is successfully juggling her career and studies while also focusing on her self-development.

The male-weighted hospitality industry has experienced a boom in recent years, as women are successfully paving inroads into the sector. So far, more than 100 female trainees have completed a course in Food & Beverage Management under the PSDF banner.