Give your career options a jolt with Goodwill’s Youth Barista Training Program
Program Overview
Tailored around the growing demands of the specialty coffee industry, the Youth Barista Training program will guide you through the basic operations of a café and the skills required to be a barista. The 16-week certificate program is available to youth between the ages of 16-24.
The first half of the program introduces you to the world of coffee, the demands of a café, and the art of a barista. Training focuses on coffee history and theory, safety and sanitation, cash-handling accuracy, customer service excellence, and achieving consistent quality in drink preparation.
As an advanced student, you will have the opportunity to further refine your growing skills in new settings, mentor incoming students, participate in operational tasks, and hone the “soft skills” required to be successful in the workplace.
Industry professionals will lead classroom and hands-on training in espresso arts, coffee history, customer service, and café operations. Case management and job readiness assistance is also provided to each student.
A Goodwill Certificate of Completion will be awarded upon successful completion of all program contents.
Training Schedule
The Coffee Buzz is open Monday-Thursday from 7am-4pm, and Friday from 7am-3pm. Students can expect training shifts during these operational hours, including opening and closing.
Daily attendance is critical to the successful completion of this program. The rapid progression and testing, as well as the frequent introduction of new materials and equipment, require you to perform classroom and café duties as if they were a job.
Program Benefits
- Small student-to-instructor ratio
- Hands-on learning in an operational café
- 16 weeks of on-the-job experience
- Certificate of Completion to document your training for employers
- Growing community partnerships offer employment and other training opportunities
- Professional staff with extensive experience in specialty coffee and café management
- Funding
Goodwill does not charge students for the cost of training. Please the program for further information.
More Information
If you are interested in learning more about the program, please call the Barista Program Manager at 253.573.6823 or 253.573.6560 or email: [email protected]
Click here for a program brochure.
Or attend a program orientation! Held at 1:30pm on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month within the REACH Center Coffee Buzz.
AND COME VISIT one of our Training locations to taste our student’s success:
Goodwill Coffee Buzz at Milgard Work Opportunity Center
714 S. 27th Street | Tac
oma, WA 98409
OR
Goodwill Coffee Buzz at Hilltop Regional Health Center
1202 Martin Luther King Jr. Way | Tacoma, WA 98405