BRIAN BOYD & PAYCE : COMMENDS 'KICKSTART YOUTH CAFE`S' FIRST HOSPITALITY GRADUATES.

• August 16^th, 2015. Riverwood, Washington Park, Sydney:

BRIAN BOYD : PAYCE celebrates first Washington Park Youth Café Graduates.

Kickstart Youth Café, have a win as they see their first two trainees successfully complete their courses. Kickstart Youth Cafe maintains focus on providing local youths with training and on-the-job experience in the hospitality field.

Kickstart Youth Café is a PAYCE initiative at Riverwood's residential precinct, Washington Park.

The RSA (Responsible Serving of Alcohol) and the RCG (Responsible Conduct of Gambling) certificates are essential to work in venues that sell or serve alcohol and have gambling facilities on site, observed Mr Boyd.

The Kickstart Courses comprehensively cover the Hospitality industry, including the all important RSA (Responsible Serving of Alcohol) and the RCG (Responsible Conduct of Gambling) certificates.

Brian Boyd : Local workers lend a hand in support of hospitality careers...

"With the support of local construction workers and local residents through their patronage, the café has been able to open all weekdays and give the trainees the experience and training they needed to achieve their goals.

"Being a not-for-profit enterprise meant more time could be spent with the trainees than would have been the case with a busy commercial business," he said.

PAYCE Managing Director, Brian Boyd said he was delighted to see the café project working successfully.

"I also want to thank the café's chef, Matthew Peek for the great job he did in mentoring his trainees and imparting his knowledge to them.

"My congratulations to both Samantha and Anthony on the successful completion of their courses and I wish them well in the future," he said.

"Both graduates now have the necessary range of skills and credentials on board to give them the edge when competing for employment in the hospitality industry," Brian Boyd said.

Dominic Sullivan recommends workplace training and skills as valuable tools for making future careers.

The trainees have successfully completed their RSA and RCG training courses and a barista course at the Australian Barista School, as well as receiving mentoring with CV writing to assist with applying for jobs outside the café.

"I had the pleasure of visiting the Kickstart café with Canterbury City Council Mayor, Brian Robson we received top-class service and perhaps more importantly, a great coffee," he said.

At a graduation ceremony in PAYCE headquarters, Dominic Sullivan - PAYCE General Manager, presented Samantha Terepai and Anthony Box with their Certificate 111 in Hospitality Operations.

Mr Sullivan congratulated Samantha and Anthony and said all their hard work and dedication to the job had paid off with new skills acquired and more job opportunities open to them in the workforce.

PAYCE initiatives progress brings small business support to the community

The Certificate 111 course is quite comprehensive and covers a suite of skills needed to work in the hospitality industry. Participants learn everything from setting tables, to taking orders, making coffee, serving food and drinks and processing bills.

"It meant a not-for-profit business offering fresh food and coffee was viable in the grounds of Washington Park and presented an opportunity to provide a great training ground for local youths who aspire to a career in the various fields of hospitality.

Mr Sullivan said the ongoing construction activity on PAYCE projects at Washington Park and the influx of new residents was the catalyst for the training initiative. The café's clientele includes construction workers, as well as local residents and tenants of Washington Park.

Two other local youths were recently selected for the training course and are currently receiving on-the-job training and experience at the cafe, with a view to graduating later in the year.