A Brunswick cafe has begun a mentoring program with local schools, training teens on the espresso machine and finer points of hospitality.
Growing up in Brunswick, you would think the locals are born knowing how to make a good flat white., Melbourne’s next generation of baristas are perfecting the art of coffee and customer service before they have even graduated from school.Penny Stephens
“As a 14-year-old you’ve got literally no skills at all. But we did all the training in the background and just ticked little boxes across the journey.“He’s become such a valuable part of the team. Everybody loves him. Even talking to his parents, the level of confidence that he’s gained through working here has just been incredible.”
He has since picked several year 12 students to train on weekends, who will be partnered with a mentor at the cafe in the hope of giving them an early pathway into hospitality.