| Home » Case
Studies » Café Horizons
» About the Project
|
 |
| Café Horizons: About the project |
 |
‘The Café aims to provide vocational training and life skills to at risk young people, who experience
difficulty in accessing traditional training, particularly those in recovery from drug dependence, through
the provisions of accredited training in a supported, flexible, hands-on, enterprise environment.’
Spanning over 13 weeks the accredited training program at Café Horizons provides the opportunity for
local young people to gain a Certificate I and II in Hospitality (Operations). This certification is
transferable to other programs run at TAFE.
Café Horizons also works in partnership with the Department of Education and Training to deliver a
‘Gateways’ program that provides eight days of training and work experience in the Café for 12 at risk
young people from local high schools each term. Students in the Gateways program come to the Café for
one day each week and are taught the fundamentals of the hospitality industry such as Occupational
Health and Safety (OH&S), hygiene, customer service and food preparation skills.
|
"The program offers young people a brighter future and the opportunity of a fulfilling
lifestyle whereby they are able to achieve not only a greater sense of self-esteem by
having gained a qualification and employment but also by developing a more suitable
peer network. The program has been made possible with the support of the community
centre and the area health service. I congratulate all of those involved. As the local
member I will give it my utmost support. It is an important part of the Cabramatta project,
which I have detailed to the House on numerous occasions. It is a whole-of-government
approach dealing not only with the health needs of the community but also policing
needs. In the final stages it is also about breaking the cycle of unemployment in the area,
offering young people a future. Despite the abrogation of the Federal Government in this
regard the community is taking a lead in providing hope and opportunity for its youth." -
Local Member for Cabramatta, Mrs Reba Meagher
|
The vision of the Café is multi-faceted. Not only does it strive to engage at-risk youth in vocational
training, the Café also endeavours to provide assistance with personal issues, professional development
opportunities and life skills training. The Café provides personal support throughout the program and job
seeking assistance after the program and whilst providing the opportunity to attain national qualifications
it also gives young people from the Cabramatta area the opportunity to gain employability skills such as
customer service, money management and food service and preparation.
There are seven areas of service that are offered to the young people for experience. In the sixth week
(half-way) of the program a formal review takes place, giving students and trainers the opportunity to
assess the structure and content of the program.
|
Foccacia - Prepare and serve a range
of tasty sandwiches and foccacias.
Till - Handle all monetary
transactions by operating the till
Wait Staff - Greet customers, take
orders and serve their meals.
Stove and Grill - Prepare and serve
hot food items
Kitchen Hand - Wash and put away
all plates, cutlery, glassware and
kitchen equipment
Salad Hand - Prepare and serve
salads and garnishes.
Barista - Prepare/serve all hot drinks.
These include Cappuccino, Café Latte
and Mocha coffees
|
"Each of these positions can lead to a specialised career in the hospitality field." - Café Horizons
CASE STUDY 2:
LUCY, 14
Lucy, a fourteen-year-old student, came straight from the weekly Gateway
program into the full time program. She was having difficulties at her High
School where she was enrolled in year 10. She was expecting to get
expelled due to poor peer and teacher relations. Part of her behaviour
issues were anger related. She had difficulty controlling her anger, and this
became apparent with one relationship during the course. She was given a
time-out due to her behaviour towards this student. She was then asked to
complete a conflict management workbook with café staff.
Her family was unstable and due to past experiences she had been to
counselling. She agreed to go again with the assistance of café staff.
However she attended only once, and avoided going again. She moved in
with her sister, to get away from some of the disturbances at home. Café
staff assisted her in gaining financial support for this.
She often had to leave work early because she also had the responsibility of
taking care of a younger brother.
In all other areas she worked hard, she was competent, and skilled. Despite
these family pressures she was able to work well at the café, becoming a
valuable and reliable student.
Upon graduation, she received recognition for partial completion of Cert II.
She recently contacted the café to tell us she had been given an
apprenticeship at a local restaurant. She was very happy about her success,
and was also thankful for her time spent at the café. She is going well in this
new job.
|
|
|
|
|
