In early August, 15 high-achieving young adults from Korea arrived in Sydney for the inaugural Gyeonggi Youth Ladder Program, a three-week leadership and career development initiative supported by Icheon City. The program aims to cultivate future leaders and strengthen ties between South Korea and Australia.

Selected through a competitive process, the students represent a new generation of globally minded professionals. The delegation is led by Dr Seohyun Bae, Director of the Global Institute of Education and Culture at Pyeongtaek University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation. They are undertaking intensive English language training at the University of Sydney’s Centre for English Teaching, alongside cultural immersion and professional learning experiences.

A highlight of the program was a visit to The Bread & Butter Project in Marrickville, organised by OZiHOUSE Group, which also arranged homestay accommodation.

The Bread & Butter Project is Australia’s first social enterprise bakery, founded in 2013 by chefs Paul Allam and David McGuinness. It was inspired by work on the Thai-Burmese border, where refugee women were taught to bake bread to support their families. In Australia, the project provides on-the-job bakery training, TAFE-accredited study, English tutoring, and employment support for refugees. It has trained over 100 artisan bakers over 12 years. The vast majority of its costs are covered through sales to supermarkets, cafes, hotels, and caterers, with the rest funded by grants and generous donations.

The students observed bakers at work, learning bread and pastry making, and were moved by the project’s impact. Rebecca Elworthy, Sales and Marketing Manager, hosted the visit with exceptional care and attention. She shared the bakery’s history, highlighted the tremendous work involved in developing skills and finding new markets, and conveyed the importance of supporting trainees. Her generosity, knowledge, and dedication made the visit especially engaging and memorable.

One student, Kim Dongsun, was so inspired that she asked how short-term international students could volunteer their time to support such initiatives.

Her question showed the wider impact of the visit, which planted seeds for lasting change. Dr Bae spoke about taking these ideas back to Korea. The group imagined starting their own businesses with a social mission, such as welcoming newcomers from other countries and helping them settle into the community. They also saw the value of quality over quantity. Real success is not about training the most people, but about training people well and helping them find good jobs.

The visit gave the students a unique view of Australian society. Along with their homestay experience, it offered hands-on learning and cultural exchange. It showed how social enterprise can give people skills, opportunity, and hope as they build new lives – lessons the students will carry with them long after the program ends.