Well Grounded’s programme helps people facing barriers to employment into work in the coffee and hospitality industry. The impact of the three hospitality businesses’ support represents the employment of 95 people and a total of over 4,000 work placement hours since the partnership began in 2017.
The 12 graduates who have successfully completed the ten-week programme, accredited by the Specialty Coffee Association, gained their professional barista qualification plus Level 2 in both Customer Service and Food Safety and are now preparing to start their barista careers.
Their success was celebrated at a graduation ceremony at the Royal Opera House, where they had the opportunity to showcase their skills through brewing and serving coffee to guests.
The Speciality Barista Traineeship programme provides technical coffee training and employability skills, with paid work placements at Company of Cooks, Gather & Gather and Vacherin London sites, plus guaranteed work within the three businesses on completion.
Eve Wagg, founder and chief executive of Well Grounded, said: “We are incredibly proud and excited to be celebrating the graduation of our 2024 trainee baristas as part of our longstanding partnership with Company of Cooks, Gather & Gather and Vacherin.
“Together, through our wider work, we have been able to launch our first training Academy outside of London and raise vital funds, empowering hundreds of people into careers in specialty coffee.”
Since conception in 2016, Well Grounded has supported over 350 people into work, with 83% sustaining work for over six months.