A new mobile coffee cart will soon be doing the rounds of local markets and festivals as part of a project to provide employment and training to some for the most disadvantaged people in the northern rivers community.
The coffee cart enterprise is being supported by the Enterprise & Training Company (ETC) and the Northern Rivers Community Gateway group.
ETC chief executive Jenny Barnett said it was no ordinary coffee enterprise.
‘The Northern Rivers Community Gateway’s Cart Café really is all about coffee with a conscience,’ Mrs Barnett said.
‘It’s providing skills development and real job opportunities for the unemployed and for people who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness.
‘We encourage local businesses to get on board with this great initiative by providing space at their premises or at events for the Cart Café to operate.’
Supervisor Michelle Renshaw said Cart Café supported trainees in gaining their retail qualifications in conjunction with ETC, while providing them with on the job barista training.
‘NRCG also support trainees in gaining their Food Safety Certificate and formal Barista Coffee Preparation training,’ Ms Renshaw said.
‘We are really grateful to ETC for supporting us and helping us purchase our second mobile coffee cart.’
‘Our plan is to use our carts as a training base at 76 Carrington Street and to operate at various events, sporting events, festivals and markets from Grafton to Tweed giving our trainees practical and real work experiences.’
Cart Café’s Barista David Barnes said he was thrilled to be given the opportunity to work with Cart Café.
‘I was unemployed myself prior to getting this job,’ he said.
‘Now I get a chance to share my experience and use my skills to give back to the community and help other unemployed people.’
Jenny Barnett recently visited the Northern Rivers Community Gateway and saw the Cart Café in-action.
‘Being a not-for-profit, jobactive provider and Registered Training Organisation, ETC is proud to be supporting the Cart Café. This aligns perfectly with our own goals of helping to reduce disadvantage and providing employment and training opportunities in the local region,’ Ms Barnett said.
For further information about Cart Café contact Michelle Renshaw on 0417 580 956.
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