Would You Like Some Upskilling With Your Coffee Sir?

Local students are setting out to provide delicious BBQ food and coffee to the community via a mobile food and beverage cart through a new incentive designed to take the training conversation to the people of the Gold Coast. 

The Education Coffee and BBQ Cart will create a relaxed social environment allowing employers, current students, potential clients, prospective students and community members to connect over coffee and food while highlighting the advantages of upskilling to enhance employability and canvas work placement opportunities for TAFE students. At the same time hospitality and event students will gain workplace learning experience by developing technical and employer valued soft skills while preparing and serving food and coffee from the cart. 

A Win For Education And Industry

At the launch of the cart Gold Coast City Councillor Cameron Caldwell emphasised that the City prioritises upskilling because it “ensures the viability of our workforce and the economic prosperity for the entire community”, while TAFE Queensland Business Development Officer Bec Hysett said: “this is a great opportunity for hospitality students to hone their skills in a real world environment while we connect with those onsite to discuss training on the Gold Coast. It’s a win for education and industry.”

The cart was built locally by Creative Refrigeration and Stainless and will initially visit two Gold Coast worksites each week, although it’s anticipated more employers will quickly take up the opportunity when the word gets around that free coffee is on offer to their teams!

How good are those sausages?

The initiative is the result of a joint venture between TAFE Queensland, Gold Coast and C Bus Super under Study Gold Coast’s collaborative funding program Vision 2020. Designed to both attract and engage students, the cart will visit locations across the Gold Coast providing BBQ food and coffee to work sites, open days and community events to spread the message about training while also creating valuable workplace skills for hospitality students.