SERVICE DELIVERY INITIATIVE

Brimbank City Council Brimbank Neighbourhood House Unit

Hospitality Skills Training and Mentoring Program

Due to COVID-19, many hospitality professionals left the industry in search of more secure employment. The problem was exacerbated by the cessation of migration. Hospitality and food preparation staff are high on the list of future workforce requirements and Brimbank meanwhile has high youth unemployment rates, with an increasing level of youth disengagement.

The Hospitality Skills Training and Mentoring program was developed as a practical response to both local unemployment as well as the broader workforce and skills shortages plaguing local governments since the advent of the pandemic.

Programs were delivered in partnership with Jesuit Community College and involved participants experiencing structural unemployment and other vulnerabilities receiving training and certification, from barista training and food handling to Responsible Service of Alcohol certification. Beyond training, the program offered holistic employment support including supervised work experience in local hospitality businesses, access to industry mentors, job readiness activities like interview practise, references, and referrals to further support as necessary.

A co-design process was used to develop the training and mentoring program. Underpinned by a ‘no wrong door’ philosophy, the council worked with learners and the College to develop programs that reflected their aspirations. The content, style, and format of the training sessions took into account participants’ individual needs, factoring in English as a second language or learning difficulties, for example.

A distinct training program was developed for a particular ethnic group in collaboration between Arts, Libraries, and Neighbourhood Houses, for example. The program was co-facilitated by a librarian of that ethnicity and provided for a group of newly arrived female migrants, giving them access to childcare to further reduce their barriers to participation.

Training was delivered across three different sites in Brimbank where all participants successfully completed their courses, providing positive feedback on their confidence in the work-ready skills and experience they acquired.