YouthGrounds Training Program in conjunction with YouthGrounds Café, a key project within our West As social enterprise initiative. Developed by Future Connect, our co-designed social enterprise is dedicated to empowering young people by equipping them with the tools they need to succeed. By providing hands-on training and work experience, the program aims to build their confidence and develop the skills and social networks needed to succeed in future employment opportunities.
YouthGrounds Training Program
YouthGrounds Training Program is a 10-week Café and work readiness program tailored for young people aged 16-24 with a connection to the West. This program is designed to offer progressive real-world experiences and skill development. Our comprehensive program covers a wide range of essential areas, including barista skills, interview techniques, networking strategies, effective communication, resume building, teamwork, employee rights, financial management, and more. Find out more.
Curious about the path you're about to take? Take a look at the journey map below, where we illustrate the pathway a young individual follows through the YouthGrounds training program.
(photography of YouthGrounds café )
YouthGrounds – Commonly Asked Questions
We've designed the YouthGrounds Training Program with young people and the community in the West to help young people succeed in their careers. We're here to help you, not to judge. If you'd like to take part in the program but are unsure, we've prepared some questions and answers to help. Have a question that's not answered here? Email or text it to youthgrounds@futureconnect.org.au
The program is entirely free
To be confirmed soon for 2025.
The program runs 2 days a week. The hours are 9:30am – 2pm
- One day is a work experience day on either Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday
- Friday is a workshop day
Both days are compulsory. Lunch is provided.
Yes. Completion of the food safety certificate is required to continue participating in the program and you must be available to attend those sessions.
Young people need 80% attendance to complete the program, this includes attendance at both work experience shifts and Friday workshops. If more than one session is missed due to illness, a medical certificate is required. For students enrolled in school, all absences will be reported to the school.
This will count towards your attendance. If you don’t attend 80% of the time you will not receive a certificate of completion (if absence is not due to illness). You can still participate in the program, we can try to catch you up on missed sessions but this is not guaranteed. If you are finding it difficult to attend, please talk to us. We’re here to support you and want to see you succeed.
The work experience shifts are unpaid in the YouthGrounds Training Program.
We ask that when you register that you can commit to the 10 week course which is designed to set you up for success in future employment. Places are limited so keep in mind if you sign up and don’t attend, someone else could have had the place in the program. We’re here to support young people to succeed in the program, if you need support to keep the commitment to the program please speak to us. You must attend 80% of the classes and work experience shifts to receive a certificate of completion.
To get the most out of the program you will need to attend 2 days per week.
Young people and students must be able to arrange own transport to the Kurunjang Community Hub.
A barista is someone who makes coffee and other coffee-based drinks. They may have accredited training, or hands on training in the workplace to learn how to make coffee. Usually a barista works in a fast paced café with strong customer service skills. Not all baristas work in busy cafes. Sometimes learning to be a barista is a stepping stone to other careers in hospitality. Melbourne is known for its café culture and baristas are always in demand.
Feel free to reach out or book a phone chat to talk more: https://calendly.com/alice-ames/youthgrounds-training-program-chat
Can I take part in the program if…
Yes you can! There will be an extra form your school needs to sign, and we can help you with this. If you haven't attended school for a while and perhaps feeling a bit anxious about returning and learning in a group this could be a great opportunity for you. The program is designed to help build your self-confidence, learn skills to help you in life and work. We're here to support you so please reach out if you'd like to talk more.
It depends. Speak to your teacher, and your careers teacher about whether you can attend the program. Then complete the YouthGrounds registration form.
Absolutely you can! There will be some classroom learning sessions which won't be too much like school and most learning will be hands-on. We're here to support you so please reach out if you'd like to talk more about how we can do this.
The program doesn't involve a lot of reading and writing, but please chat to us about how we can support you.
You're in the right place! We know young people struggle to get work experience which is why you will get 10 weeks of work experience shifts in this program.
If you have work experience in a different job, you're more than welcome to register. If you have experience in hospitality already, this program would be most useful if you need to build your self-confidence, skills for working with others, customer service and receive support for being job ready.
Absolutely you can take part! We want to make sure there are supports in place for you to participate and succeed in the program. During the registration process you have the opportunity to share with us how we can best support you to take part in the program.
Absolutely you can take part! This program is for young people who have a connection with Melbourne’s West are keen to learn the skills to be job ready. We want to make sure there are supports in place for you to participate and succeed in the program. You will have the opportunity speak to us about how we can support you to take part in the program when you register your interest. We are experience in running programs with neurodiverse young people.
Absolutely you can take part! This program is for young people who have a connection with Melbourne’s West and are keen to learn the skills to be job ready. We want to make sure there are supports in place for you to participate and succeed in the program. During the registration process you have the opportunity to share with us how we can best support you to take part in the program.
The program is a friendly environment to support you. The work experience will start with building your confidence and barista skills. There is training to help increase your confidence in speaking with people, before needing to serve customers. You can always ask about other jobs in the cafe so you don't have to serve customers.
You're not alone, and you can definitely take part in the program. You will build skills you can take to any workplace, whether you want to work in cafes and hospitality or try something else. There will be support provided in the program to help guide you to where you want to go.
That's okay, you can still register your interest in the program. While this program includes a range of life, work, and hospitality skills the work experience will be in a café with a focus on coffee. You don't have to become a barista. There will be support for you in the program to help you find passions and career path to help connect to future jobs.
Well, neither does my boss and she's super passionate about this program! In this program you will be learning about coffee- and how to make it, which usually involves tasting it too! If you don't like coffee and you'd like to get the skills to work in a café or hospitality this is still an opportunity for you.
That's totally fine! You don't need to have tried coffee or even like it to take part in the training program.