Community houses offers cafe skills classes

LAST term saw the first cohort of students complete a new five-week Hospitality and Cafe Essentials training course delivered at Eaglehawk Community House.

Lessons took place in the Eaglehawk centre’s kitchen, where students learned skills such as safe food handling, effective kitchen practices, barista skills, and customer service.

Course facilitator Narelle Bickford said it had been rewarding to see the students grow in confidence each week.

“The cafe essentials really helped participants gauge an understanding of what’s required of them when working in the hospitality industry,” she said.

Each lesson included a theory-based group discussion, followed by a practical session where students could practice what they’d learned preparing and serving meals to each other.

“We had a variation of cooking skills,” Ms Bickford said. “Some could not cook at all for themselves and at the end of the sessions they were in the kitchen right beside us cooking and preparing meals.”

The course is pre-accredited and designed to give people without any knowledge of hospitality an introduction before they go on to accredited training.

Manager of the Eaglehawk and Kangaroo Flat community houses Tracey Moss said part of their mission is to provide low or no cost courses for the community.

“The course not only allows learners to acquire new skills, but it also provides an opportunity to reconnect and engage with others in a supportive environment,” she said.

Eaglehawk and Kangaroo Flat community houses are welcoming new students this week for their Term 4 short courses.

More information on what’s available can be found on the organisation’s Facebook page.